It Was Life
by TyyTyy
Summary: A story of Sasuke and Sakura's life together after his travels. He's finally home, a changed man and she's been waiting, loving him all along from afar. Now that they have the chance, they intend to enjoy all the time together they're granted. It's time to take the next step in their lives, that step both of them were finally ready for.
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

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 **It Was Life**

 **...**

Life… It certainly was a fragile thing, easily tainted or destroyed even. Sometimes though, it could be blissful and those were the days Sakura Haruno looked forward to. She'd had a lot of bad days. Many more it seemed, than good days. She'd gone through a lot to get to where she was today and she was rather proud of her accomplishments, yet not proud enough to strive for more on a daily basis.

Life hadn't ended up for her as she expected it would, not from when she was a small girl… Or even when she was in the academy. Honestly, her view on life still hadn't changed during the years of training with Tsunade. Truthfully, it had only become clear to her here recently.

It was her love for Sasuke that had blinded her for all those years, or rather the love she thought she had for him. It was nothing compared to what she felt now. She had always loved him, but now; she understood her love for him, a love that satisfied her enough even when she didn't see him for months… And months…

Sasuke had seriously affected her life, she couldn't remember a time when he wasn't on her mind. His life gave all the more meaning to hers and she knew she was here for him and so she waited. She always waited; and she always would.

She spent a lot of days reminiscing, thinking back to all their old missions from their genin days. She remembered all the fear, the adrenaline, the fun of it all and just being with Sasuke. Everything was blissful then.

Then, Sasuke left. His quest for power had begun and the memory of him leaving that night was enough to make tears well in the girls eyes. Those few short moments were forever embedded into her memory. How she wished she could have convinced him to stay back then.

Years passed and no Sasuke, just hard work day in and out. It wasn't for nothing. Sakura trained hard, forcing all of her frustrations into her training, eager to learn and become as strong as she could so one day, she could bring him home. She could make him proud.

The next couple of times she'd come across him, things hadn't been good. The darkness seemed to have swallowed him whole and seeing him like that was more than enough to rip the remainder of her heart to shreds. She cried. She thought she was so much stronger but still, all she could do was cry…

She had almost given up hope. Her Sasuke was gone, long gone. He wasn't coming back and definitely not to Konoha. She didn't know what to think or do anymore, but she didn't have long to think about it before war broke out. The only thing she could be worrying about was her comrades.

The last thing she'd expected was for Sasuke to end up being one of those comrades. He'd come back. He wanted to defend the village. He even made claims of wanting to become the Hokage. After what seemed like an entire lifetime, Team Seven was back together. Sasuke was back, bringing with him all the love Sakura had for him at once, after she'd tried so hard for so long to just forget, to move on. To accept that Sasuke was never coming back.

For the first time in a long time, she had hope. It wasn't easy, ending the war and even once it was over, Sasuke's intentions were not as she'd hoped. She stood, pouring her heart out to him yet again and as if she was the same little pathetic girl she'd always been, she cried for him.

He put her under genjutsu, shattering all hope she had again. It was a frightening experience and all the while she was unconscious, he and Naruto were doing all they could to annihilate the other. By the time she'd come to, it was over and her two team mate's lay beside each other, arms destroyed but that day changed everything and to Sakura, everything was Sasuke.

He apologized to her for the first time and that was one of her most treasured memories. It was all the more special because she knew how sincere he was. Just like that, Sasuke was returning to Konoha. He was coming home. She could only hope that he would be okay once he did.

She could never have expected him to be considered free. What if it wasn't for him taking a mission of atonement from himself, for himself. She wanted to join him but, it wasn't the time. The way he'd poked her forehead, his simply spoken words of gratitude, it was all more than enough for her to know all she needed to. One day, he was coming back from her.

Next time… He'd promised her and she'd been waiting, as she always had but this time, she actually had something to wait for. After all, Sasuke was a man of his word. Sakura knew with all her heart and soul that next time, was right around the corner.

Naruto and Hinata hadn't been married long, actually they were still on their honeymoon. Though it did seem as if it was rather- extended. Sakura had been busying herself as much as possible. She kept herself at the hospital, working on anything she could, even when things were slow- there was always paperwork to be done.

Today was a day like any other. The weather was perfect for a day outside but Sakura still found herself hurrying along to the hospital before the sun was even up. She was glad she had because there was an emergency, requiring surgery and she was right on time for duty. She loved working. Healing. Helping people who needed her. She liked to be needed. She worked hard to be a woman people did need.

After the surgery, she met with Shizune and they had tea while doing a little paperwork together. They didn't talk much, the occasional mention of something to do with their work would come up but other than that, they remained quiet, doing their work.

Sakura usually skipped lunch but she would make time for dinner no matter what if she did. Her work ethic required her to eat regularly, especially when she was so easily frustrated at times, when she needed to blow off steam, she did so her way, which required a lot of chakra, not that she didn't have a considerable amount.

She was surprised, but not so much annoyed when Ino came in her office, demanding her to go to lunch. They hadn't really got together since Naruto's wedding so she didn't argue. It would be nice to get out of the hospital for a bit, and still be killing time.

Sakura wasn't big on barbecue but she didn't argue when Ino had already decided where she wanted to go. It didn't really matter, Sakura supposed it was better than Ichiraku's. She'd seen a lot of that place recently. It was also nice to have some privacy while they ate, so they could talk as they pleased.

Ino obviously had something she wanted to tell Sakura and she was the first one to speak once they were seated. "So how are you though, really. I never see you around. You spend too much time at the hospital."

Sakura sighed but smiled nicely at her friend. "I have to do something."

"Sometimes you should do _something_ for yourself." Ino said with a roll of her eyes. "

"I enjoy working. That is what I do for myself." Sakura informed her, semi-defensively.

Ino scoffed as she pulled the meat off the grill, serving first Sakura and then herself. "You know what I mean Sakura."

The subject changed to Ino and Sai, and Sakura was glad. She didn't like getting hounded about her hobbies. If there was something she'd rather be doing than working, she'd be doing it. Sakura was happy for Ino, she deserved to be happy, just like Ino… Just like her.

She was happy. Sure she was still waiting, but she was happy. She loved Sasuke so much, waiting for him didn't even seem like a task most of the time. He had her heart. She loved him so much. She would wait for him an eternity if she had to.

"So I heard Sasuke would be back soon…" Ino's sudden choice of words had her interest piqued, and her ears perking up to listen. Though this may not have been news to her heart, it was news to her mind.

"It will be nice to have him home." Sakura said honestly, a genuine smile on her lips. Her eyes brightened up just thinking of seeing him again. Even the thought of his hawk returning to her, a simple letter- it was more than enough to make the girl blush.

"I bet it will." Ino snickered, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively. Sakura's blush deepened.

"Can it, Ino-pig! Not all of us are so dirty-minded!"

Although, it's not like Sakura would ever deny him anything, considering he made an attempt. It was true though, that she didn't think of such things. She never did. She thought of him returning. Of them maybe traveling together. She thought of getting to know him, the real him, spending day after day together, talking when Sasuke felt generous, eating, visiting friends and things like that.

Life would be complete the moment he returned to her. Yes this time, he wasn't just returning to the village and she knew it. Thoughts like these were the ones that had her blushing madly. She could imagine it already. Sasuke didn't have to tell her she was his, she already knew she was. She was ready. Whenever he finally came back, she'd be ready- for whatever happened.

Sakura did have fun, but she was glad when the lunch date was over. Ino was on her way to meet Choji and Shikamaru and Sakura was eager to get back to the hospital where she could hide inside her office, tackling paperwork until her body begged for rest. It was her normal routine in life, it's what she did and she was on her way to do just that when the strangest feeling overcame her.

It was nostalgic, familiar but haunting. The rhythm of her heart slowed considerably as she stood stock still, emerald eyes set in the direction of the front gates. She didn't understand the feeling clawing at her but she knew she had it for a reason.

She knew she should just go back to work and ignore the feeling she had, it was probably nothing anyway. Nevertheless, she found herself headed straight for the front gates. She knew if she didn't check it out, she'd never be able to concentrate. She had to rid herself of this feeling.

As she'd assumed, nothing was amiss upon her arrival to the front gates. The guards greeted her as they would any other time and she responded distractedly. Even after checking it out, she still had that uneasy feeling. She didn't understand. She never had feelings like this, unless something truly was going on. Telling herself it had to be nothing and she would just have to forget it, she went on her way back to the hospital.

The remainder of her self-extended shift went by eventless, she had nothing to do other than the never ending paperwork, but still, she did that. She wasn't tired, but she was anxious on her way home. Ten more hours had passed and she was still unable to shake that strange feeling in her gut. It bothered her so much her face showed it easily, her eyebrows scrunched together as she thought deeply about what could be the cause. She sure hoped nothing was wrong with Naruto or Hinata. She hoped they'd be back sooner rather than later.

Her door was unlocked. This instantly heightened her uneasy feeling and now, she was concerned. She never left her door unlocked. She realized that she'd been so lost in thought and feeling that she hadn't even thought to check for an intruder. Steeling herself, she pushed the door open, ready for any soul crazy enough to break into her apartment. She'd beat them to a bloody pulp, until they were begging to be locked away, anywhere away from her fists.

One step in and she shifted her eyes, taking in every nick and cranny of her apartment that was within view without her moving. It was quiet, too quiet. She sensed no chakra, nothing appeared out of the ordinary. Had she really just forgotten to lock the door today?

She sighed, feeling like she was losing her mind. Nobody was in her apartment. Nobody wanted to mess with her things and they most certainly didn't want to mess with her. She took her shoes off, all thoughts of a possible intruder behind her. She was tired and after her big lunch today, she didn't have the appetite for dinner. A long, hot bath and a good night's rest would do her well and so, she headed down the long hallway towards her room, eager for her bath.

The last thing in the world she ever expected to find in her room would probably have been Sasuke, especially Sasuke sleeping, definitely not Sasuke sleeping peacefully in her bed as if it was his own, but yet that's exactly what she found.

Heart suddenly pounding painfully, Sakura stood in the doorway, mouth agape in disbelief. He really was here. He'd come home- and he'd come home to her. Her bathroom door was open and she could tell instantly that he'd taken a shower, it probably had been an hour at most. He must have been exhausted to have fallen so deeply asleep so easily. She was pleased that he could be comfortable enough to do so, even being that she'd told him on more than one occasion that he always had a home with her.

She had no idea how long she stood there, watching him from afar. As much as she wanted to talk to him, to tell him how happy she was that he was home, the last thing she wanted to do was wake him. He needed to sleep well and then when she woke up the next morning, he'd be here, well rested and she could easily take the day off. Unable to contain her grin, she left the room quietly after grabbing her nightgown and robe. Him being here in her apartment was enough. More than enough.

It was entirely unbelievable. Sasuke was back, he was in her apartment, in her bed no less. A part of her wanted to think it was an invitation, that he wanted her to join him in her bed whenever she made it home, but she just couldn't do that. She'd never slept with Sasuke and it just wouldn't feel right to climb into bed with him while he slept. What if he actually didn't want that? Sakura was all about taking chances, within reason.

The bath was nice, she had plenty of time to think about how she felt or should feel about all this. All she knew was that it was nice, it was all she ever wanted. It was bliss.

/

Sasuke knew coming home that he was going to see Sakura, initially it was one of the first things he wanted to do, however things didn't always go as he planned. He had to report to the sixth, Kakashi and then ended up being held up the entire day. It was annoying to him and the fact that he hadn't slept in two days hadn't helped the matter.

He knew Sakura had been waiting on him for a long time, for far too long and so he'd been disappointed when she wasn't home. It was after dark, considerably so and even Kakashi had told him she'd been at work since the crack of dawn at the hospital, so he'd expected her to be there, but she wasn't.

The window was open, that's how he got inside. He spent a while looking around her apartment, familiarizing himself with the new surroundings and he found himself surprised by how happy he felt, just to be here. He couldn't wait to see her. To tell her he'd come back. He was home and he wasn't leaving again, not without her.

Hours passed and no Sakura. Sasuke was rather agitated and a small part of him wanted to march straight to the hospital and tell her he was home, waiting for her. How could he be so selfish though, when she'd been waiting on him for what seemed like his entire life. So he made himself at home, knowing she wouldn't mind and when he couldn't fight the urge to crawl into her bed and sleep any longer, he showered quickly and got into bed, savoring the smell of her.

It satisfied him a great deal to wake before her. She hadn't joined him in her bed as he'd figured she would. She'd slept on the couch instead. He quite liked the sight of her, sprawled out on the couch, sleeping deeply. Her pink lips were parted slightly as she breathed, the blanket she'd been covered in was pushed down to her waist, one slim but perfectly strong leg hung off the couch, completely uncovered. She was in a nightgown, it was a soft, baby pink, even lighter than her hair, which she'd obviously been growing out.

These days, Sasuke really did appreciate everything about her. Everything. Sometimes he wished he'd realized sooner, but most of the time, he just appreciated getting to where he was now. It may have taken him a long time but he'd finally made it here and although this would be all too new to him, he was certain he'd make her happy.

He watched her for the longest time, and he quite enjoyed it. It wasn't as if either of them were short on time and he also wanted to be considerate and let her sleep, as she had let him. He could only imagine the look on her face when she found him the night before. It irked him slightly that she wasn't up at the crack of dawn today, eager to see him. Instead she slept as if she would never wake again.

He couldn't help himself anymore. He wanted to hear her voice, to see her bright and beautiful emeralds and for the first time, he actually wanted to hold her. To tell her exactly how he felt, though he hoped his actions spoke greatly. Emotional words weren't his strong suit. For Sakura though, he would try. He was ready to make this work, to take the next step in his life and he knew it would be the most important step he'd ever take.

The instant he sat on the couch at the crook of her knee, she stirred. He smiled as he watched her fight to stay asleep, having not yet realized the movement she felt had come from him sitting next to her.

"Sakura,"

Green eyes opened wide then, the sound of his voice calling her name struck her like a bolt of lightning. She was awake, quickly sitting up, cheeks beet red and those pretty eyes so, so wide.

"Sasuke-kun." She breathed, the three syllables seeming to take every last ounce of breath she had.

"I'm home." He said, pretty pleased with himself as he did, even though he knew she would already know this. Those two words held far more meaning coming from him, to the both of them.

"I'm so glad!" She squeaked, biting her lower lip the second it began to tremble.

It was easy to see the emotion in those eyes, especially considering Sasuke couldn't look away from them. She wasn't sad, though she appeared to be on the verge of tears. There must have been so much she felt all at once, it was surely hard to process it all. He knew though, most of all, she was happy.

He knew she'd be hesitant for a while, it was a possibility that she may never feel one hundred percent comfortable, but Sasuke didn't mind taking the lead. As a matter of fact, nothing would please him more.

One swift tug and she was crushed against his chest, Sasuke's lone arm holding her close against him in a long overdue embrace. Sakura let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding and hugged him back, her arms nearly flying around him. She held him tight, tears steadily pooling from her eyes. She was so happy. So, so happy.

They held each other for some time, savoring the feel of each other. Sasuke knew what he wanted, even Sakura knew what she wanted, it was just easier for Sasuke to get it because Sakura had always wanted him. He however, hadn't always wanted her and therefore, he could understand her hesitance. When they finally released each other, Sakura was red as a tomato and Sasuke gave her a real, genuine, _just for her_ smile.

Sakura made breakfast. Sasuke was starving. He could have sworn that he'd never had anything close to rivaling Sakura's food, but he couldn't remember the last time he'd had an actual homemade meal. It was simple, eggs, meat and bread but it was more than he could have asked for and the two of them ate together in silence. A very happy, comforting silence.

As soon as they were finished eating, Sakura was quick to clean up after them, so quick in fact that Sasuke couldn't have helped her, he didn't even have the time to suggest it. It was so strange to be home, for Sasuke. It was like everything he'd done in his life had led up to this day, this time. He'd never felt more free than he did now.

"Naruto will be back today." Sasuke stated simply after a while, breaking the silence with news he knew she didn't have.

Sakura's eye's widened at this. "Really?" She smiled then, looking forward to the three of them getting together again. "It's about time he came back."

"Hn." The Uchiha turned and walked towards the front door, taking place in front of the small window to gaze outside. It was quite a feeling he had, being back in Konoha so freely.

"Would you like to go for a walk or something?" Sakura asked, thinking he might like the idea. Sasuke just didn't seem to be a man who'd like to sit around the house all day. Ever.

Sasuke looked back at her, his lone visible eye meeting her gaze head on with a look that held warmth, a look that made the girl fall in love with him all over again. "Yeah, we could do that."

Sakura blushed and averted her gaze, slightly shaken by the feel of Sasuke now. Nothing was at it used to be. She was no longer chasing after him. He was here of his own free will and she didn't know what to do with herself. It was all too amazing.

/

Their walk had ended them at the old training grounds before too long. There was a point in time when Sakura thought she may never get the opportunity to be here like this with Sasuke again, but she was. He seemed so different than he used to be but at the same time, he still seemed like himself. Sakura was quick to figure that he'd just grown up, as she had.

He wasn't that lonely, power-hungry boy anymore, he was a man; a man who had seen many things. He was also capable of many things and so powerful that even she knew, the last thing he was worried about was getting stronger. He would probably always get stronger anyway, and that was something even he knew now. He had done all that he'd wanted, he'd atoned for his sins. He made good on protecting his comrades in the need ever arose and he always would.

Sakura was proud of the man Sasuke had become. Sure, things hadn't gone as she would have liked, but that was life. In the end, everything had worked out as it was meant to and for that, both of them were thankful.

"How about a little spar?" Sasuke suggested, after reliving their first time together in this very spot. The bell test. That was another thing that hadn't gone as planned and yet seemed to work out in the end, because… They were meant to be together.

As if Sakura would even dream of turning down the chance to show off to Sasuke. She laughed, a happy laugh while watching him. This moment and her happiness was enough to form a smile even from Sasuke. "Let's do it."

Sakura knew that when it came to ability, Sasuke had her out-matched but when it came to a simple taijutsu spar, she was well fit to be his opponent. She was well trained in hand to hand combat, and if at any time she was to add chakra into her blows, she'd have the advantage. She didn't though, even after a couple hours neither of them had so much as broken a sweat.

They never landed a blow, each one being blocked and met by each other. It was almost as if they were dancing and even though they weren't actually exerting themselves, they were both having a good time. Sakura couldn't believe this was actually happening to her, what more could she have asked for? Then there was Sasuke, and he was just happy to be here, making her happy.

"It's getting late." Sasuke mentions, his voice sounded slightly surprised. Time had slipped by even him. Sakura walked next to him and sighed.

"Naruto, right?"

Sasuke nodded. "He should have been back."

"Well let's go, maybe we will get lucky and run across him." Smiling happily, Sakura took hold of his empty sleeve and led the way and strangely enough, Sasuke found that he quite liked her doing so.

It was when they were passing by Ichiraku's that they finally did run across Naruto. He was stopped across the street, speaking to Kiba and Shino. Hinata was nowhere to be seen, Sakura noticed as she urged Sasuke along and the two of them joined the others.

"Naruto, you're back!" Sakura exclaimed excitedly, eager for him to see just who else was back.

"Hai!" He turned to her with a big closed eye grin, scratching the back of his head as he did. The second his eyes opened though, his surprise showed. "W-what? Sasuke!" Naruto bellowed. "You weren't supposed to be back for another couple of weeks."

"I was ready to come home, so I handled my business accordingly."

Naruto laughed loudly, coming between his two team mate's and throwing his arms over their shoulders. "This calls for celebration. Let's all have ramen, I'm buying!"

Nothing compared to this, all of them being together. It was so nice. They enjoyed it so much that they stayed around for a long time, just catching up and reminiscing. Even Sasuke seemed more open than he ever had before, even when he wasn't speaking, though speaking came easy to him whenever Sakura or Naruto were involved. There were no other people that meant to him, what the two of them did. They were his family. He never imagined how much they truly had cared for him, but now he knew, he understood; because now, that's exactly how he felt for them.

They knew it really had grown late when Hinata had emerged, having been at her family's estate, to collect Naruto. Apparently he'd been supposed to return to her and when he never did, she came to find him. Sakura got up, hugging Hinata before she and Naruto could escape.

"You look so happy. I'm so glad for you." Sakura told her honestly, she was so proud of Naruto for being the man he was meant to be for Hinata.

"So do you." Hinata responded timidly, clutching onto Naruto's arm for support.

As soon as they went on their way, Sakura and Sasuke also made their leave. On the way home to her apartment, Sakura was well aware of how close Sasuke was walking next to her, so close that their shoulders would brush on occasion. That slight contact would cause Sakura's face to heat, unsure how to take the way her body reacted to him.

"Um, how long will you be home?" Sakura asked thoughtfully, this was something she wanted to know and she also didn't like the feel of the silence at the moment.

"A while." He answered quickly but then after hesitating slightly added, "Hopefully."

Sakura understood. Sasuke could have to leave at any time, at only a moment's notice. She knew that unless something serious was happening, it more than likely wouldn't happen but the mere thought of him having to go away again brought back a pain she'd felt in her heart for far too long.

"Don't look like that." Sasuke told her, stopping abruptly and halting her by her hand right along with him. She looked up at him in surprise, lips parted slightly. "Next time, you're coming too, remember." With those words, he poked her forehead meaningfully and Sakura blushed.

"Sasuke-kun…" She blinked up at him in surprise, her heart pounding ruthlessly.

He smiled, his prefect lips turning upward as if it was the most natural thing, but it was a look that came along once in a blue moon, so Sakura savored it. She smiled back cheekily, loving everything about this day. Now, her life was perfect.

"Come now, let's get home."

And home they went.

/

After they'd both had a shower, they sat in the living room together on the couch drinking tea that Sakura had prepared for them. Sasuke had kindly took the time to tell her about his time traveling. Though he didn't speak in detail or tell her anything of significance, just the fact that he was talking to her had her heart melting.

"It's late, you should get to bed." He told her knowing full well it was already early morning.

Sakura frowned, she didn't want their night to end but if it had to, she wasn't about to put him on the couch. Now that he was home, he deserved to be comfortable. "I'll sleep on the couch, if you're ready for bed you can take my room."

"No, you will take _your_ room." He told her matter-of-factly.

She glared at him then, not willing to take no for an answer, even coming from Sasuke. "I will not. I'll sleep right here." She slid down onto the couch to prove her point but gasped in surprise when Sasuke laid down next to her.

"Guess we'll both sleep here then." He muttered, a sly smirk on his face, though Sakura couldn't see it from the way they were laying and the heat clouding her mind with Sasuke laying so close beside her.

"Sasuke-kun!" She breathed, laying still with surprise. "If you're so comfortable sleeping next to me, we should share the bed." Her face heated more with each word she spoke and Sasuke couldn't help the grin that came to his face.

"You should have just said so." He got up on his feet, and tugged her to hers with one swift pull. Sakura's face burned as he pulled her down the hallway and into her room.

Surprised as she was, she got into bed with him right behind her. The hammering in her chest hadn't eased up yet. It only seemed to worsen when he wrapped his arm around her midsection, pulling her body snug against his. She knew that Sasuke was a different man, a man who knew what he wanted and had changed to have all that he wanted. She never expected him to be so… at ease with her though. It drove her insane feeling as if he didn't realize what he made her feel.

"Relax." He breathed, all too close to her ear. "Sleep."

How could she? Sasuke Uchiha was in her bed, spooning her for crying out loud. The mere thought was enough to have her nearing insanity. Desperately, she tried to slow her breathing and steady her racing heart but nothing seemed to work. She'd never felt a rush like she was feeling now.

He smelled so good, clean from his shower, he felt even better, so toned and big. He was definitely a man now and with each passing second, Sakura was becoming more and more aware of that fact.

Curiously, Sasuke brought his hand up against her chest, wanting to feel the way her heart was pounding and as he did so, it only picked up. She wasn't afraid of him, he knew that. Other women flaunted themselves at him, seeming none too nervous about doing so, but then there was Sakura, heart pounding because he was this close. Even so, Sasuke didn't feel as if she would want him to leave.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, afraid he may not like the way she's reacted to him.

"Don't be." He told her, half a smile on his lips. "Just get used to it."

Sakura didn't think she ever would get used to it, but she sure didn't mind taking her time trying. To think that she could do this possibly every night was enough to calm her down and she relaxed in his hold. Sasuke hand went back to her stomach, just over her ribs where he tucked his hand under her and held her tight against him. This was new to him as well, she might not have realized it, but even he was flustered.

Eventually, both of them were calm enough to sleep and they slept better and longer than they ever had before. They hadn't anticipated sleeping together would be so nice and peaceful, but it was. When they finally forced themselves awake the next morning, both of them had slept too much and in return, had no motivation to get up and out of bed. Sakura however, was the first to get up. She wanted to make breakfast for Sasuke and herself of course being that it was her favorite meal of the day.

Sasuke showered while she prepared their food. She wanted to take another walk possibly, this time showing him everything in the village that had changed since the war. Though it wasn't anything major that had changed over the years, it would be nice just to walk around with Sasuke and tell him everything she had to tell him; everything being any and all things she could think of.

Of course, if he wasn't up for a walk, Sakura was sure he wouldn't mind going for another spar, or maybe even a tour of the hospital. She would love to show him what a day of work for her was like, especially if it wasn't all paperwork. If none of those options appealed to him, she wasn't against staying home and doing nothing at all, or either doing anything he wanted.

Her thoughts, fruitless as they were, made the time go by quickly and before she knew it, breakfast was ready and Sasuke was out of the shower, dressed, in the kitchen and ready to eat. Sakura served him happily before serving herself and joining him at the table. He thanked her quietly, his eyes warmer than she thought she'd ever seen them as he turned his attention from her, to the food before him. He ate, cleaning his plate in a matter of minutes.

Sakura wasn't close to being as fast as he was, she still managed her entire plate, though she was finished well after Sasuke was. She couldn't believe her eyes when he got up the instant she was done and cleared their plates, placing them in the sink and proceeding to wash them as if it was the most natural thing.

 _Sasuke washing dishes…_

Things had definitely changed. Sasuke had changed. Even Sakura could tell how hard he was trying, just to be everything she ever wanted. Her heart swelled as she stood and joined him over by the sink. One instantaneous glace, a sweet, pink lipped smile and an all too sexy smirk and the two of them finished cleaning the dishes together, and then the whole kitchen. Before they knew it, the entire day had passed and they hadn't gone a single place, not even so much as outside. As long as they were together, time was flying by.

/

Weeks passed and while it seemed as if nothing had changed in Konoha, for a certain new couple, everything had changed. There had been no touching, no kissing. But there had been love and affection, happiness and laughter. They were both inevitably infatuated with each other. Each night they slept in her bed together, the comfort of it quickly growing on the both of them. It didn't take long for them to fall asleep easily, their nervousness a thing of the past.

Sakura worked, though only sometimes, as needed. She felt she had a lot of catching up to do with Sasuke and she was enjoying every second she had with him, if she didn't have to leave him, she didn't want to. Sasuke seemed to always be next to her, no matter where they were or what they were doing, he stuck to her side as if he wanted everybody to know she was his… He was hers. He didn't have to tell her they were an item for her to know. They didn't have to be intimate for her to love him and want to be with him always, and forever.

The more time they spent together, the more comfortable they became. Closeness was something they both craved. They were always touching in some way. It could have been the way he would hold onto her hand as they walked, or her casually placing her hand on his chest, if not that, their bodies were usually so close they'd touch each other on accident, or sometimes- not so accidentally.

Sasuke wasn't one to rush things and though he wanted Sakura in more ways than one, he knew for once in his life, this was something had had to do perfectly. Patience was everything. It was satisfying for him to just be with her, to learn more and more about her every day. Waiting would never be more worth it.

Sakura didn't feel any less enthused about their relationship, being that Sasuke had made no attempt to kiss her. In fact, she felt overjoyed that he was so serious about them that he would take the time to get to know her, to talk to her. She didn't want to rush anything either and so everything was going perfectly for them. They were sure they couldn't have been happier.

Nothing lasts forever though and today was the day their blissful, peaceful life was to change. Sasuke had been called to the Hokage's office, leaving Sakura at home full of worry. She would have gone along, I mean Kakashi was the Hokage… But, the ANBU relaying the message said there were strict orders for the Uchiha to go alone.

It was hours before he returned. Sakura was close to hysteria by then, but she was quick to change her attitude when he finally walked in the door. She ran up to him, eyes wide with curiosity. His lips were set in a flat line, brows creased. He didn't even hold her gaze but for a second before he looked away. Her heart dropped to her stomach. He didn't even have to say the words. He was leaving… And she couldn't go.

/

When the idea of him leaving crossed her mind, Sakura already wanted to lose it. She never expected him to have to leave that same night. She couldn't accept the fact that he had to go away on what he expected to be a two-week mission. Sure it wasn't forever, but it was far too long to be without him. Sakura was certain that she would never be able to sleep without him again. She wanted to go. She hated everything and everybody as she dealt with her feelings which seemed out of control, all the while packing Sasuke enough food to last him until he made it somewhere.

She was crying, though quietly because she didn't want him to notice. He was taking a shower, but still she feared he'd find her like this and she wanted to be strong for him. For them… She didn't want to lose him again, not even for an instant and yet here she was, with a measly few hours before he'd be gone, and she'd be alone again. Even he didn't want to leave her behind, he wanted her to go. It wasn't right that they wouldn't allow her to join him. It could never hurt to have a medic along, especially with one of her skills. It was almost as if the world was against them, forcing them apart just when they'd finally come together.

"You have no reason to be upset, Sakura." Sasuke spoke from right behind her, so close his breath brushed against her ear. She hadn't heard nor felt him approach so she stiffened when she did. He spun her around to face him and pulled her close against him with his lone arm wrapping snuggly around her waist. "No matter how long I'm gone, or how far I go, I'll always be with you."

Another round of tears surfaced and rolled down her cheeks. Big, green eyes full of emotion stared up at him in awe. "Sasuke-kun." She sniffled, his words settling within her mind and heart and filling her with peace. "I… I understand."

"Good." He pulled his arm back to wipe away her tears and then he poked her forehead. "I want you happy." This was true and one reason why he'd wasted so much time begging the elders to let her join. He didn't understand why they were so adamant about her staying home. It was as if they had some need for her as well.

"I am happy." She assured him and in all honesty, she was. She was beyond happy but she wasn't so sure if she could be, without him.

"I'll be back before you know it."

Overjoyed, Sakura threw her arms around him and hugged him tight while she cried. She didn't understand why she was crying so hard because she really wasn't sad anymore. She knew it would suck to be without him but the day he returned would be enough to make it worthwhile.

She leaned back, arms still locked firmly around him, she gazed up into his mix-matched eyes ready to tell him just how much she'd miss him, though her words never left her mind before Sasuke's lips were on hers.

The kiss stared out as a simple kiss, a light and quick peck to her lips. She was stunned, just by that but could never have been ready for the way his lips came back continuously, over and over, kissing her again and again, each touch of their lips becoming more urgent, and more certain. Her stomach fluttered and she melted against him, his kiss intoxicated her and when he finally did pull away she was completely breathless and flushed.

The feel of him asserting such dominance, kissing her so hungrily as he had… It was unbelievable. She stood against him, feeling things she'd never felt before and at the moment, she'd forgotten he was leaving at all.

Sasuke sighed, gazing down at her, his lone hand cupping her cheek. His thumb ran across her now swollen bottom lip, pulling it down as he did. He wanted to kiss her again, but he thought better of it and returned his eyes to hers. She was surprised but loving it. Her eyes said it all and he loved the way she looked at him.

"You should rest." She finally said, her voice so quiet it was barely audible. She wanted to spend time with him but she knew he'd be traveling all night. He needed to sleep while he could.

He nodded, well aware himself. "Sleep with me," He suggested, neither asking or demanding her. She could refuse him, though both of them knew she never would.

"Come on." She said, pulling him by his hand towards her room. She would never turn down a chance to sleep next to him, especially being that it would be the last time she could for a while.

They didn't sleep long it seemed, before it was time for Sasuke to make his leave. Sakura didn't cry again but she definitely wanted to. He wasn't even gone yet and she already missed him. She could only hope the days would pass her by quickly until his return. He had his satchel, packed full of food over his shoulder, ready to depart. Sakura walked with him all the way to the front gate. No team awaited him. Sasuke was a one-man squad, just as he was most of the time. Sakura would give anything to have a mission with him. Those days used to be so much fun.

"Who knows, maybe I'll get lucky and wrap this up quicker than I plan. You'll never know when I might pop up." Sasuke told her suggestively, obviously trying to brighten her mood. He wouldn't be gone forever. He'd be back, just as soon as he was able. He wanted her to understand and be able to accept this. Though he intended for her to travel with him at any time possible, he wanted her to be able to handle him leaving, for any lengths of time without getting so sad. He didn't want her to feel alone, or like he wasn't here- even if he wasn't physically.

"I'll be waiting. I'll miss you." She gave him her best smile, though her heart seemed to be ripping to shreds.

"Hn, I hope… Though you won't be waiting long." He smirked, his only visible eye, dark and smoldering. She hugged him, not lingering for long, but she held him with so much love and affection, that even Sasuke nearly lost himself, eyes closing on their own, body relaxing against hers. He was surprised at how disappointed he was when she released him.

"Take care of yourself, I need you back in one piece." She teased.

"That's just how you'll have me." He smirked, his fingers finding her forehead easily, his way of telling her what she meant to him. "Arigatou."

Then he was gone, vanishing in an instant as if he'd never been there at all. If it hadn't been for the warmth lingering against her skin, or the smell of him all around her, she would have thought he wasn't. He may be gone for now but it wasn't over. It was far from over, in actuality- it was just the beginning.

/


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

* * *

 **It Was Life**

 _Fragile..._

* * *

The next week was, as Shikamaru would say, a drag. Sakura had been busy working, catching up on paperwork for the first few days after Sasuke had left but then she was assigned a mission, her first one in so long- she couldn't remember the last. It was nice being with Naruto and even Sai on a mission, it was something she hadn't been expecting but she didn't want to complain. It was nice having a change in pace and the traveling they were doing made the days go by a little quicker.

It wasn't until a week had passed that she began to worry. What if Sasuke made it back before she did, and she wasn't home waiting for him? She hated to think it but even if it happened, it wouldn't be able to be helped. There was nothing she could do but try and finish the mission as quickly as possible. That way, she would be home as quickly as possible.

Naruto was the only one really complaining about the mission and this was surprising coming from him, considering it was an S-rank, the only reason the three of them were assigned it together. He was obviously enjoying the newlywed life though, along with his future Hokage training. He was steadily working towards his goals but Sakura was surprised that he wasn't excited to have a mission like this.

Sadly, the mission itself seemed to be far from accomplished. The missing-nin's they were tracking weren't stupid and they never stayed in one spot for more than a few minutes, not even to sleep.

…

Two weeks on the go and they'd just discovered their targets whereabouts and they had a pretty good idea what they were planning. Team Seven wouldn't be led astray, and all of them were eager to get this over with, now even Sai.

Now, they had a plan; they just had to put it in action, but first they needed to rest, something they had been depriving themselves of for too long. They stayed at the closest inn they could find and slept, each of them getting all the rest they needed to face the day ahead.

/

Sasuke's mission was complete. He'd finished ahead of schedule, just as he'd hoped. He was back in Konoha just ten days later, but Sakura wasn't there. He'd known he was supposed to immediately report to Kakashi but still he found himself going by Sakura's apartment first. He wanted her to know he was home. The report could wait.

When he didn't find her there, he went ahead to the Hokage's office, but more-so to find out where Sakura was than to report. It was too quiet inside the Hokage's office. Sasuke didn't like the feel he was getting. He narrowed his eyes at his former sensei, not even thinking of reporting. "Where's Sakura?"

Kakashi's left brow rose then, Sasuke's question piquing an interest within him. "On a mission along with the rest of Team Seven, well apart from you that is…"

Sasuke grimaced. "Tch. What's the last information you have? I'll join them."

"It's not necessary, Sasuke really. You've only just got back from a mission anyway, go home and rest. They can handle it."

"I'm going." Sasuke spat in finality, glaring viciously at the sixth. "Now brief me."

"So demanding… And yet, you still haven't even reported from your mission." Kakashi chuckled. "But, I can't say they probably wouldn't enjoy the company so, I'll tell you. You can report later."

This pleased Sasuke and he gave Kakashi a firm nod in acknowledgement. It only took about five minutes to know everything he needed to know and then he was gone, on the road again. The last thing he could think about was resting when his team was out there, without him. He was no fool, if they'd sent all three of them, it was no easy mission. Though he was beyond confident in their abilities, especially Naruto and Sakura, he still couldn't help but be concerned. If anything were to happen to either of them, he wouldn't be able to handle it.

He had a long way to go, but he moved fast. Still days passed and he was still behind them. He wished it wasn't taking as long as it was, but when he became too fatigued, he'd have to stop and rest. His last mission had taken its toll considering he didn't take time to rest afterwards. He was used to being on the road but without much sleep, you were worthless and he was doing much more running than he was sleeping.

It was an entire week later before he'd finally caught up to them. In reality, the distance itself should have taken him even longer. Tracking someone only made things worse. He didn't know if they'd already be engaged in combat or if he'd come across them on their way but he was just ready to find them.

/

The battle was all they'd anticipated and more. The entire first day the enemy just toyed with them, playing mind games that left the team a little frustrated. Their opponents consisted of a four-man team of rouges. They each had their own special abilities and were strong enough to force the group to separate. Naruto was taking on two of them at once, having no other choice being that Sai and then Sakura both were caught up by a couple members.

Their inadequate amount of information of the groups skills did little to nothing to prepare them for their battle skills. Sakura had gone through a quarter of her chakra reserves without so much as coming close to touching the bastard she fought. He was a scaly looking beast, a man who stood like a human, but resembled nothing of the sort. He wielded a long sword, but was a long-range fighter. He used an iron-style that Sakura wasn't familiar with and it was all she could do to stay hidden and out of the way of all his attacks. They were continuous, relentless. The concerned medic in her never had a chance to even glance at her comrades and check on them.

When she'd been at it for an entire hour without getting hit, she felt she was finally beginning to understand the way her opponent moved, how long he fought before he'd have to take a brief pause, probably to gather up his chakra again. She found out how slow he became just after he used one of his more powerful attacks. She watched him and she waited, calculating the perfect plan before she finally put it into action. They needed to complete their mission as soon as possible. Losing here wasn't an option for her.

/

Barricaded into an underground tunnel after his last attack, Naruto found himself annoyed and eager to get a hold of at least one of the guys. They were both skilled in genjutsu, which wasn't the jinchuriki's specialty. He'd been doing well considering, but still he wasn't making any headway. The best he was doing was keeping himself out of harm's way. He had to do something to end this, to finish these bastards so him and his team could get on their way back home.

Bursting his way, with the help of his shadows clones, out of the tunnel, Naruto found himself back in the forest where the rest of his team was fighting as well. The two rouge's he'd been fighting reappeared instantly, they meant not to give him a moment to check and see how Sakura and Sai were holding up. It was true that he knew they were more than capable of taking care of themselves, but he couldn't help being concerned when he had no idea what was going on with them. Only the occasional loud bang or explosion gave him a slight feel of ease because then he knew that their battles were still raging.

The fight went on for the longest time, much longer than any other Naruto had been a part of, aside from the war that is. Although he was nowhere nearing his limits, he knew his were far above those of his comrades and it wouldn't be long before their bodies would wear down, and eventually even his. It was as if this group wasn't losing any of their strength. Their endurance was spectacular, especially considering they were throwing the majority of the attacks. Surely they would tire eventually, but how long could they keep this up?

They had to figure out something and quickly.

When all else failed, Naruto summoned an astounding number of clones to his aide, having all of them simultaneously attacking the enemy. While doing so he took the opportunity to escape, only momentarily and just to reassure himself of his team's status. Sai was in the air and it seemed as if he had the advantage with the many beasts he sent down at his enemy, one after the other. They seemed endless, even more-so than Naruto's clones that appeared to be everywhere. Sakura had cleared the entire surrounding area in the forest, leaving her opponent nowhere to hide, however he was fast and she'd even become wounded and it seemed she hadn't had the time to even stop the bleeding, so obviously coming from her side. The monster-like man she faced had not gone unharmed, he was missing an entire arm and although the blond wondered how that happened, he didn't have long to think about it before his eyes widened in shock. The sight before him was enough to stop his heart on the spot. That bastard was collecting chakra around his iron sword at an alarming rate, the sheer amount of it was enough to shake even Naruto. These rouge's were definitely no ordinary ninja.

"Sakura!" Naruto screamed as loud as he could, having not even a chance to move before the blow was to be made. Just as the beast went to strike the kunoichi, Naruto had been found and was forced to resume his own battle.

/

There seemed to be no strength left in her tired body. She's blown so much chakra and sadly missed so many of her punches. After hours of steadily going at it, her body had reached its limit. She was left breathless and weak, having only her final reserves of chakra left. She bit her lip hard. She was in a corner she hadn't been prepared for. She wasn't one to underestimate her opponent, but she'd never expected the group to be _this_ strong.

She'd been careless, thinking she had it all planned out. The second she'd shown herself, she'd taken a hit that took more than a small toll on her. His special iron was a poison of its own, one even Sakura didn't understand. The effect it had on her body was strange and the fact that it entered her side made it easier to spread over the full length of her body almost instantaneously.

Blood oozed from the wound, a burning sensation took over her and she was sweating profusely in less than five seconds. Her breathing became extremely labored, her chest ached with every breath she took and before long, she felt all too heavy. She couldn't move, she was stuck to the spot, unable to do anything but take in each and every new symptom she felt. A few more minutes and it became hard for her to swallow, her vision started blurring and her legs began to tremble under her weight.

She could barely make out the figure before her, preparing himself for his final attack. Though her heart steadily began to slow in rhythm, she felt panicked. She was helpless and more than likely about to die any second. She tried to breathe, but she didn't cry, she didn't even try to run. If it was her time to go, she would go. She was useless to her team as she was now anyway. She couldn't heal them if she couldn't even heal herself and now, she had no control over her body. The last thing she heard before she lost consciousness altogether was the sound of a thousand birds ringing in her ears, as if they were calling to her.

/

It was indeed a fact that Sasuke had been worried about Sakura and this certain mission but he never expected to find his team in the predicament they were in, especially not Sakura. Though it was easy with his eyes to take in the entire area and sum up each fight in a matter of seconds, the only thing he could think about was getting to Sakura before it was too late. Had he not been able to instantly get in front of her like he had, she would have been done for.

His chidori wasn't a moment too soon as he parried the attack and assailant in one sweep. The Uchiha was certain he'd never been angrier as he stalked to the body, finishing him off with his katana. Sakura was in bad shape, he knew it. He stood still momentarily, collecting himself before hurrying to her side. She was barely breathing, her pulse fading rapidly.

"Shit." The raven haired boy cursed, a fear all too familiar coursing through him. She needed immediate help, something that was far from where they were.

"Sasuke!" Naruto came running up to them, having just finished up on his end.

"She's dying!" Sasuke shouted, not bothering to beat around the bush. The Uchiha's heart was pounding and an adrenaline he'd never felt before took over his body. "We have to get her to the village, immediately."

"How?" Naruto panicked, understanding quickly how serious this was by Sasuke's reaction.

Sasuke scooped her up into his arms carefully, she was still losing blood. It would cost him nearly all of his chakra, but he had to get her there now, no matter what. "I'll teleport, but I won't be able to make the distance with more than her." He wasn't even sure if he could make the entire distance in one go, at least not without depleting his chakra completely. If that happened, he wouldn't be getting her anywhere.

"We're right behind you, get her there!"

/

Even after only making half the trip in one transport, Sasuke felt fatigued. This annoyed him beyond words and he found that he couldn't even bring himself to look at the girl in his arms who was losing color and blood by the minute. He didn't take but an instant before he forced them the rest of the way there but the strain it put on his body was enough to bring him to his knees the moment he arrived in the village, sadly just outside of the gates.

His body hurt, and he'd lost every ounce of his chakra so it was nothing but pure willpower that got him up to his feet and carrying Sakura into the village once more. The guards jumped to their feet at the sight of them and came rushing over, Sasuke's body was in such a state of shock that not only could he not hear what they were saying to him, but the only thing he could say, or rather kept saying, was 'help'.

He hated to give her up, to release her for even a moment, but he knew she needed to get to Tsunade and quickly and he was getting nowhere fast. While one guard immediately rushed her to the hospital, the other called for someone to come and transport Sasuke to the hospital as well. He couldn't wait though, as bad as he felt, as weak as he was- he still forced himself on his feet and on his way towards the hospital.

/

There was no way for Tsunade to prepare her for the condition she found her student to be in. Sakura had a look of death, she even had the smell. It was as if she was slowly dying from the inside out, though not slowly enough. The woman didn't have time to even accept what had happened before she had to get to work. It was bad, far worse that she could have ever feared and she knew she had but moments to save the poor girl's life.

While one medic worked on the wound on her side, Tsunade herself went about immediately extracting what poison she could. Several drips were set up during that time, both arms were hooked to machines pumping in fluids, blood and pain medicine all at once. Even after the emergency extraction was over and some time had passed, giving the medicine and blood some time to get in her system, she was still far from out of the water.

It wasn't easy for Tsunade to even contemplate leaving the room and her precious student's side for even a moment, but an antidote had to be discovered. This poison was quick to work, and brutal on the body. It was hard to accept but Tsunade knew that even if by some miracle, Sakura made it through this, she would have a long road of recovery ahead of her.

It was an inorganic poison, with high levels of mercury. Though she was well supplied in the hidden leaf and having all the knowledge she'd acquired over the years, preparing an antidote was no easy task. After several failed attempts though, she'd finally come up with the right one, and in only a few short hours. She was certain that as long as the first dose was given to her by nightfall, she'd be able to make a full recovery- even if it did take some time.

It took her another hour to make several batches of the antidote. She assumed four doses would be enough to clear the poison from the girl completely, but preferring to be safe rather than sorry, she made double. She hurried back down to the emergency room, stopping only when she found Sasuke Uchiha pinned to the ground by two ANBU just in front of Sakura's room.

Tsunade marched forward, heels clanking loudly against the floors on her way. "Just what the hell is going on here?" She demanded, in no mood at the moment.

"We told him no visitor's." One of the two began explaining. Sasuke cursed the man and himself for having no strength at the time being.

"He's not supposed to be out of bed himself." The other ANBU added quietly while continuing to restrain the man.

"Release him at once!" Tsunade ordered and they complied instantly, even helping the Uchiha to his feet as they did. "Just stay out of the way brat." She warned him, more so with the look she gave him than the words she spoke.

Sasuke followed her inside the room, not giving a damn about her or her threats. He just had to see her, to know that by some miracle she was still alive. He couldn't lose her, not when he'd only just accepted her for what she was to him- which was everything. He might have lost his family in the past, but now that he'd realized he could start over and have his own family, starting with him and Sakura- a hope that he couldn't have fathomed before blossomed within him, opening him up to a whole new world. A new life. A new life that he couldn't wait to start with her. If he lost her now, he'd never get the chance.

/

He'd never seen so many machines hooked up to one individual, not even during all his time with Orochimaru, with all his experimenting. He'd never seen a body that wasn't dead, be so lifeless, but it was- she was. They'd been giving her blood, but it had done nothing to help the pale, death-like color to her skin. Even now, she wasn't stabilized but Tsunade seemed to feel as if the first dose of the antidote would do a great deal to help Sakura.

It hurt to see her in such a state. What would have happened had he not made it to her when he did? Losing her wasn't an option- not after all she'd gone through not to lose him. He wanted to do anything within his power to save her, only when it came to this, he had no such ability.

The medic who'd seen him upon arrival did force him to take a chakra pill, but that was all he'd allowed the young girl to do before he escaped the room in search of Sakura. The pill had replenished a small amount of his chakra but he was still weak, his body aching. None of it mattered though, he'd die before he left her. Tsunade obviously understood this and therefore, let him in the room. Even when she and the other medic's excused themselves, having nothing else they could do, she let him stay.

That was all he wanted, to be by her side. She didn't have to know he was there. He knew- and that was more than enough for him. He held her small, frail hand. It was cold, and so pale. She looked nothing like herself as she lay there, completely motionless. At least she seemed to be at peace, nothing indicated she was in any pain, but in a way, that only made him more fearful.

If only he'd gotten back from his mission sooner. If only he'd made it to them quicker than he had… So many possibilities floated through his mind. He probably could have prevented this, had he done things differently. Even as he thought these things though, he knew how foolish he was being. This is the situation they were in. She had gotten hurt, he hadn't been able to protect her but she was alive and as long as she got through this and stayed alive for him, he'd make damn sure nothing like this ever happened again.

He loved her.

/

It was a week later before Naruto and Sai made it back to the village. While Sai went ahead to report to Kakashi, Naruto ran straight to the hospital, having heard from the guards that she was still there. Their mission had been achieved, though at a great cost to them. Sakura was the last person Naruto ever wanted to get hurt and he'd suffered tremendously having to go days without even knowing if she'd survived or not. The only thing good about her still being in the hospital was the fact that she was still alive.

Tsunade was just outside the door to her room, going over some papers she was carrying. "Granny!" Naruto called to her as he continued his approach, slightly fearful of what he may find once he arrived.

"Naruto, you've finally returned." She gave the boy a tired smile, the first one she'd managed in over a week now.

The blond nodded jerkily, cerulean eyes locked on the door to his teammate's room. "So… Sakura…?"

With a sad sigh, Tsunade opened the door and lead the way in. "She's still unconscious. The poison is no longer in her system, but the effect it had on her was strenuous. Her body is slowly healing, but it was serious. By the time she got here, her organs were already failing. It could take weeks for her to finally wake up and even when she does, the recovery will be long. Sasuke's been a big help, staying every night and working her limbs as often as he can, but she will still be weak. If she's out for too long and bedridden, she may even have to learn to walk again. We won't know exactly what will happen or what condition she will be in until she finally wakes up."

Naruto swallowed hard, tears welling up in his eyes as he stared at his pink haired teammate. He's never anticipated this happening to her, nothing like this that would be so serious. He could only imagine how Sakura would feel about her situation when she did wake up.

"Where is Sasuke now?" He asked quietly, his voice low.

"I made him go get something to eat for himself. If he keeps it up, he'll be admitted as well but you can't tell that brat anything."

Naruto chuckled at that. "You're telling me?"

"You should go rest as well, get yourself cleaned up and go by and get some ramen. There's nothing you can do here for her now. If you want, stop by tomorrow. But if anything changes, I'll send word right away."

Naruto nodded in understanding. Watching Sakura with sad eyes, he sighed. He'd never thought that he'd let this happen. He wanted more than anything to protect his friends, especially those most precious to him. Having not been able to do that bothered him. It hurt him deeply to see Sakura in such a situation. A part of him blamed himself. He should have been more prepared, shouldn't have let them get separated but he wasn't sure how he could have done anything differently. Sakura was a fighter and he felt reassured knowing that she wouldn't be giving up so easily. She would get through this, no matter how hard it would be.

…

Sasuke didn't like to stay gone long from Sakura's side, and it taking him an entire hour to get food, eat and make it back to her was far too long for his liking. Nobody was there, even Tsunade was gone, obviously having finished with whatever testing she had to do when she forced him to leave. That woman got on his nerves sometimes but he couldn't have been more thankful to have her around.

She'd saved Sakura's life. The girl may not have woken up yet, even after an entire week, but the life had been returning to her figure ever so slowly over the course of that time. By now, her color was back to normal and all of her vitals were fine, except for the occasional time when the pain meds would drop her blood pressure, or her heartrate. Tsunade assured him that it was just a side effect to the morphine drip.

She was looking much better, but the way she remained so motionless still scared him. Sometimes he felt as if she may never wake up again, and yet he watched her constantly, willing her to open her eyes and look at him. He wanted to see her big green eyes, to hear her voice. He wanted her back to how she was supposed to be, not like this. Sasuke didn't know how much longer he could handle her remaining unconscious.

"I need you… You know that right?"

He was going crazy, talking to her even when she couldn't hear him, but he found himself doing this more and more each day. Maybe she would hear him, maybe his words would bring her back to reality quicker. He wasn't against trying anything and surprisingly it felt good to speak to her still form, relieving even. The more he talked to her, the better he felt and after a couple more days, he'd spend every second by her side, talking about any and everything he could come up with.

It could have been a time he remembered from their genin days, that he just felt like reminiscing over, or how he was feeling at that moment. He'd rant and rave, beg and plead. He'd even tell her how much she meant to him, and he couldn't tell her enough of the need he had for her, it only seemed to grow with each day she stayed unconscious and after two weeks, he'd nearly lost all hope.

"I'm so sorry. I just don't know what to do." He was rambling, much as he did everyday nowadays. He was holding her hand, thankful for the warmth it gave him, it was much more welcome than the chill it gave off just a week prior. Naruto had been by not long before, but now it was just the two of them again and he had to talk to her, if only to ease his mind somewhat.

"I love you Sakura." He told her, the honestly of his words filling him with a warmth he welcomed. His eyes widened in surprise when her hand flexed in his. He'd been casually skimming his thumb across her knuckles and although the movement was faint, it was something and he hadn't missed it. She didn't appear to be waking up any moment but she'd moved, only slightly but it was still progress. Sakura was in there, fighting her way back to him. All he could do was wait for her, just as she had always waited for him.

No matter what the situation may be, he couldn't help blaming himself. He knew that Sakura was strong, she was more than capable of taking care of herself but still, nobody was perfect. If only he'd made it there a few minutes before, maybe things wouldn't have ended so badly and right when he needed her the most.

He wasn't the same person anymore. He was a mam now, with enough wisdom to know what was right and what was not. He knew he'd been a fool for so long but he accepted his sins, knowing full well he only got this strong because of the path he'd taken. A lot had happened over the years and now, Sasuke couldn't be happier to be home, where he belonged; living the life he was meant to live. Everything was about to change for them, as soon as she was better.

They would have a family.

"Sa-su-ke…"

One wide, obsidian eye looked to the face of the voice calling his name. Taken aback, he stood from his chair, tightening his hold on her hand. "Sakura?" He bit his lip, watching her warily as she struggled to open her eyes, the blinding white light in the room too much for her after being in the darkness for so long. Her heart was beating rapidly as she realized how weak she was. Immediately she wanted to cry but she didn't, overly aware of Sasuke standing just before her, holding her hand so securely.

Sakura was confused, having many questions but her head was pounding and her throat and mouth was far too dry for her to start talking. It was obvious she was in the hospital, things were foggy but she assumed she must have been injured on her last mission, how she ended up back in Konoha she didn't know. Not that it mattered, she was just thankful she was safe. She knew first hand that if she felt as bad as she did, it had to have been serious.

Just as Sasuke began to ask her how she was feeling, a knock sounded at the door. Without awaiting a response Tsunade entered the room, followed by Ino and Hinata. Upon noticing instantly that Sakura was awake, Tsunade hurried to her free side, the only side anybody could get to, what with the other side constantly being harbored by the Uchiha. He refused to leave, he didn't listen to a soul and Tsunade quite often wanted to knock some sense into him, however she was thankful he had changed and become the man he was today. It was obvious to everyone how much Sakura meant to him, ever since the accident.

"You're awake, huh? I'm sure you must be thirsty." Tsunade signaled for Ino to get some water for the frail girl and she did, only giving her a small sip, for fear of her choking. Sakura was thirsty but it was refreshing just to have her mouth wet.

She took a deep breath after having a long, much needed sip. "My head." She croaked.

Tsunade nodded to herself. "I'll be sure to get you some medicine. It will be some time before you'll be back to yourself. It could be weeks before you have a pain-free day. The poison did a lot of internal damage to your body, most of which will have to heal on its own. It's going to be a slow process. That's why it took so long for you to even wake up. For the time being, sleeping is the best thing for you."

Though she didn't bother answering aloud, Sakura nodding in understanding. She was a smart woman, with more than a little knowledge under her belt. Her medical smarts only made her more understanding of her situation. It would be useless to worry about what had happened, all that mattered was getting better so she could get back to work, back to her normal routine. Back to what she and Sasuke were just beginning.

He'd been there, holding her hand the second she woke up. Though she didn't know it, he'd been there all along and had no intention of going anywhere else anytime soon. He wouldn't dream of staying in her apartment without her and although he'd like nothing more than to be able to take her there with him, he knew it was more important for her to get the care that she needed.

Ino and Hinata took a moment to speak to Sakura but that was all they were allowed before Tsunade was forcing them out of the room, informing Sakura she'd be back herself in a few moments. She'd took some time using her healing chakra to comfort Sakura but it wouldn't last like medication would.

Sasuke looked down at her, brows knitted together, jaw tensed. He wanted to see her bright green eyes, to hear her say she was okay. He hadn't expected it to be like this when she finally did come to. She could have not survived, so he knew he should be thankful and he was, it was being patient that wasn't so easy for him.

/

At times the days seemed to drag by, other times they flew by. It was two weeks before Sakura was able to go home, under Sasuke's supervision. He hadn't left her side and though he was depressed about Sakura's condition a lot of the time, he rather enjoyed each second he got to spend with her. The more she talked, the happier he was. Nothing was more annoying than silence when he was around her. It wasn't what he was used to.

She was weak, she couldn't even walk on her own, anywhere she had to go, Sasuke either carried her, or shouldered the majority of her weight. It was their first day home together and he'd helped her to the couch where she'd been resting after dinner. He'd left for only a few moments to shower and dress for bed before he returned to her. She was awake, eyes wandering the room before he came into her sight.

Just the sight of him alone was appealing enough to make her blush instantly. She looked away from his dark eyes, feeling as if he was seeing her all too well. Sasuke didn't appreciate this, but he said nothing. Instead, he lifted her legs and sat on the couch, carefully replacing her legs down, only this time they rested across his lap. Sakura stiffened, it may not have been so unusual for Sasuke to get close to her in recent days but even still, she wasn't accustomed to it. Everything with him was new to her. She loved it, but she was easily surprised when he did certain things.

Even the way he casually laid his hand across her leg surprised her. He may have been completely comfortable but Sakura was timid and unsure about every little thing. Sasuke understood this, he knew he was the cause behind her feelings. She used to be much bolder, but now she wasn't. She didn't want to try anything when it came to him, he felt she wouldn't even if it was something he himself asked of her. She wanted to be careful and he didn't blame her, although he wished she'd understand things weren't as they once were.

"You must be glad to be home." He mentioned, trying to converse at least some. Sakura had been able to talk properly for well over a week now, but still most of the time she was quiet. "Are you feeling okay?" He asked then after a moment when she made no move to confirm nor deny his assumption.

She nodded slowly, chancing a glance at him. Her cheeks heated the second his mix-matched eyes caught a hold of hers. "I'm fine. I… I would like to take a bath though." She blushed madly at the thought of him carrying her into the bathroom to do so.

"Ah." He got up, easily cradling her against his body with his lone arm. He carried her to her bathroom, sitting her on the closed toilet while he started her water.

Sakura was slightly annoyed and most definitely embarrassed by her predicament. She'd be lucky to undress herself and make it in the tub alone but there was no way in hell she'd let Sasuke assist her with her bath. Though she hadn't felt as good being washed in bed by the nurses caring for her, it was nice to have privacy and being taken care of. Now she was on her own and she could see in Sasuke's eyes that he didn't want to leave her alone.

"I'll be fine." She assured him with a soft smile. With a nod, Sasuke left her to fend for herself.

Knowing he wasn't happy about it and that it was only because he was worried about her, Sakura took time being extra careful as she undressed and maneuvered herself over and into the tub. The water was hot but she felt an automatic relief the moment she submerged herself in it. She leaned back in the tub with a deep sigh and closed her eyes while listening to the water run. She had more than enough but the sound of the water running was somehow soothing to her.

It was barely ten minutes later before Sasuke was knocking on the door to check on her. "Um… Uh… J-just a minute!" She called, having just been sitting on the side of the tub to dry herself. It was embarrassing enough just having him in the other room, but knowing he'd have to help her into her room in nothing but a towel. It wasn't like she had any other option, she hadn't brought any clothes in here and her only robe was also in the bedroom.

"Come in." She called once she was dry and had a fresh, dry towel wrapped snuggly around her nakedness.

Sasuke opened the door slowly and let himself in, lips parting as a surprised gasp left him. He hadn't anticipated her not being dressed yet. Quickly, he collected himself, his calm and cool façade easily returning. He walked over to her, helping her stand with his arm around her waist. He wouldn't carry her if he didn't have to, not like this. Thankfully with his help, she was able to make it into the room carefully. She went straight for her robe and stood shakily when Sasuke released her to hold it open behind her.

He wouldn't try and peek at her, she knew this but she was still red faced and embarrassed as she dropped her towel to get into it. She wrapped and tied it quickly before sitting on the bed with a yawn. She was tired, something she was most of the time these days. Sasuke pulled back the covers for her and she crawled into placed and laid down, smiling happily when he took the time to cover her up as well.

"Thank you, Sasuke-kun." She whispered, half asleep before she'd even finished her sentence.

She was beautiful, especially when she slept so peacefully. Her face was relaxed, assuring him that she slept pain-free. He hoped it wouldn't be much longer before she was back to herself, but it was nice knowing how far she'd come. Sasuke was tired but he couldn't find himself to close his eyes, even after he got in bed next to her and lay there. He watched her for the longest time, swearing to himself he'd never let anything happen to her again.

/

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **So, how about a super fast update?**

 **\\(**)/**

 **For those of you wondering about my other stories, updates will come.**

 **Life has happened- We all know how that is.**

 **For now, they're being worked on but this will be updated regularly.**

 **I plan to be back at it, full time. Yay!**

 **Thanks to everyone who reviewed so far and I hope you all liked chapter 2!**

 **Follow/fav for updates and if you like it, please take a minute to review.**

 **-TyyTyy**


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

* * *

 **It Was Life**

 _Feelings..._

* * *

A strange but welcome calm came over the village in the next few weeks. Though the missions came as many as ever, team seven had been on a much-needed vacation since their last mission which ended in Sakura's poisoning. Naruto hadn't minded, he was busy with his Hokage training and newlywed life so missions were the last thing he wanted to have to deal with.

Sai himself wasn't bothered. He quite enjoyed wandering around the village, checking up on what everyone else was up to. He'd hang around Naruto if he ever got the chance, otherwise most of his time was spent with Ino, who more than welcomed his presence. Sai had become rather taken with the girl.

Sakura was still on the road to recovery, but now she considered herself perfectly fine. Sasuke wasn't convinced, especially when Tsunade seemed to refuse to release her. She wasn't on bed-rest anymore but she hadn't left the house to even see the outside since she'd been home and Sasuke allowed her to do next to nothing, adamantly going on about her recovery.

It was annoying but at the same time, Sakura was awed by how much time and care Sasuke put into her. He never left her side for long, never more than a few moments and the longest times was when he showered. He refused her every attempt to help with household chores, including meal preparations. The most she was able to do was watch, which she did enjoy. It wasn't too long ago that she could have never imagined him even being in a home like this, living a normal life doing such civilian things. It just wasn't Sasuke, but then she supposed it was.

This had been him all along, he was only stuck in the darkness; unable to accept a normal life such as this one. Thing weren't like that anymore. He'd achieved his revenge, he'd learned the truth of his clan's annihilation and his best friend had opened his eyes once and for all. There was no going back after everything. Sasuke had changed and with each passing day, Sakura recognized this easier.

He spoke to her, a lot. Sometimes it seemed as if he'd even go out of his way to strike up a conversation and anytime she tried to talk to him, he never made her feel as if she was annoying him, or boring him. He listened with interest, meeting her eyes often to let her know he was paying her attention. Sakura had hoped for a long time that she would be someone special to Sasuke, she just hadn't even anticipated how it would make her feel to actually live it. It was an exhilarating feeling and even after all this time, she seemed to love him even more.

"Sakura?"

Every time he called her name, her heart skipped a beat. She turned to him from her position on the couch, with a shy smile and bright emeralds. He'd just come from a shower and he looked and smelled delicious.

"Why'd you get out of bed?" He asked with a frown. He didn't like her moving around much when he wasn't with her, but she felt fine to move around freely.

"I wanted to stretch my legs and enjoy a change in scenery." She shrugged, half shouldered. "I can walk fine, I feel great. Honest."

Sasuke walked around the couch slowly before taking a seat beside her, close enough that they were touching and half the couch was empty. "You shouldn't push yourself until your body is fully healed." He told her, mix-matched eyes boring into hers.

She rolled her eyes, feigning annoyance though really she only wanted to avoid his gaze. "I can't just sit around forever. Moving around is important for my body too, you know."

"Hn." Sasuke looked away, closing his eyes and exhaling loudly. "Always annoying." He muttered then.

"Come again?" Sakura glared at him, open-mouthed.

The Uchiha smirked at her, then leaned over her so his face was just inches from her own. "I said you're annoying. Like always."

Her mouth opened even further in disbelief as she gawked at him. He was amused, smirking at her as if he wanted her to argue. She wouldn't give in though, she settled for a sigh, deciding it best to just look away and say nothing.

"Come on, I'm only kidding." He said, voice low and laced with amusement. He reached out and lifted her face so she'd look at him again, one curled finger under her chin. He smiled at her, that perfectly beautiful smile that was reserved only for her. She melted on the spot.

"Stop already!" She begged, covering her face with her hands to shield her blushing face.

"You stop!" He argued, pulling her hands down immediately and forcing her to meet his glare. "I don't like you hiding from me."

Her blush only worsened after his words. "Sasuke-kun!" She chided him in embarrassment.

He chuckled, pulling her into his lap for the first time. She was so close to him. He smelled so good. He felt even better, so strong and firm against her body. Embarrassed enough to take the chance, she leaned her head against his chest and took a deep breath. He didn't move, not even so much as a flinch. He welcomed all closeness when it came to her, even more-so than she realized.

"You should let me take you to bed."

Sakura groaned. She would probably never win this battle with him. "I'm not tired, I've been in bed all day and when I do go to bed I'll take myself just fine."

"Damn woman." Sasuke cursed with a groan of his own. "You're impossible."

"So are you." She smiled against his chest, suppressing the giggle arising within her.

He got up then, scooping her up over his shoulder. A cry of surprise escaped her lips and she blushed furiously at the sight of his backside barely an inch from her face as he carried her off towards her room. She was so surprised and embarrassed that she couldn't utter a word to argue.

He marched into her room, being scarcely gentle as he laid her down. She pouted at him but didn't bother fighting him any further on the matter. She would lose. She wouldn't be able to win again until she was back to full capacity. A part of her couldn't wait but there was another part of her that loved things just like they were. If Sasuke was the only person annoying her, she could be annoyed forever.

"We're going to sleep. Since you're doing so much better, I thought we'd get out for a bit tomorrow. Take a walk."

Sakura's eyes brightened at this. "Really?"

The man smirked at her reaction. She sure didn't like sitting around but, neither did he. He nodded before speaking. "There's a hot spring close by that might do you some good. That way you can relax outside of the house… And stretch your legs."

The pink haired kunoichi grinned then. "Well now that's something to look forward to."

"Then get to sleep."

/

The following morning, Sasuke made good of his words. Sakura was just glad to be able to walk freely without him hovering. Though there wasn't but a couple feet of distance between them, it was nice to walk all on her own even though she didn't mind being curled up against him. They weren't far from their destination and the distance hadn't tired her in the least. In fact, she felt great.

Sasuke didn't say much on the way and Sakura kept quiet herself. She was just happy to be outside and the thought of a day away with Sasuke was all too appealing. She hoped that they might even end up staying the night at the INN there. It was a nice place that Sakura hadn't been to before with private springs available. There weren't many like it around, at least not close to them.

It was true that Sakura was a little nervous about what might happen but she was also curious to see just how Sasuke would act in such place with her alone. Knowing him though, all he would do is constantly remind her of the importance of her recovery. The thought alone had her sighing in misery which in turn earned her a curious look from her raven-haired companion.

"Something the matter?" She squeaked, blood rushing to the tips of her ears.

"Nothing." He said flatly, feigning ignorance.

Not daring to say anything more, Sakura picked up her pace ready to arrive. They had only a few more minutes before they'd arrive but even then, she was sure she wouldn't escape the strange feeling she was getting. She spent a lot of time with Sasuke so she wasn't sure why she felt so different today but it was easy for her to acknowledge that fluttering feeling in her stomach.

The INN itself was even nicer than she imagined. The caretakers were friendly and the place had a homey feel to it. Their room was nice. Clean and fully furnished. They were served tea as soon as they were settled. Snacks were brought as well and while Sakura chose to enjoy a variety of goodies, Sasuke had only his tea, having no appetite for the sweets displayed before him. This trip was about Sakura and her recovery anyway, not him.

"Sasuke-kun," Sakura called, startling him by holding out a stick of dango barely a centimeter from his mouth.

How hadn't he noticed?

"All treats aren't really sweet you know. It pays to try new things."

He regarded her and the food cautiously. He much preferred sticking to things he knew when it came to food but there was something about the way she was smiling at him, the way her emeralds shined enthusiastically as she offered him the food. He hadn't even thought about it before he took a bite and was surprised to find that it was in fact not too sweet and it wasn't half bad either.

Sakura giggled happily, judging by the look on his face she knew he hadn't disliked the treat. "See, I told you. You'd be surprised by what you might like."

Looking at her then, he couldn't wait to try all sorts of new things.

/

Once they'd had their fill of treats and tea they were both ready to enjoy the hot spring. Just out the back of their room was their own private area. While Sasuke went ahead outside, Sakura readied herself inside the bathroom. She undressed and wrapped a towel around her body. She may have been willingly going to be in the nude in front of Sasuke but it wasn't as if he'd actually see anything, or even try to. Sakura was sure Sasuke wasn't that type of man. Even so, she wasn't about to strip in front of him and parade her nakedness.

Sasuke was already in the water, turned to the side with his eyes closed. She was sure he'd become aware of her presence, but he made not even the slightest move. He looked calm, relaxed even as he sat there immersed in the hot water up to his chest. Taking a deep breath, Sakura steeled herself, dropped her towel and walked into the water, her eyes never leaving him.

He didn't even open his eyes when she was all the way in, being sure to keep her body covered by the water. This calmed her somewhat, though she still didn't feel half as calm as he looked. Slowly, she made her way next to him, keeping only a few feet of distance between them.

Better safe than sorry…

When the Uchiha did allow himself to open his eyes and take her in, he obviously hadn't prepared himself enough for the moment. An unfamiliar feeling gnawed at his chest and it was almost instantaneously that he had to look away. She was naked, and just the sight of her flushed cheeks and bare shoulders was enough to set him on end. He hadn't expected the cleavage, the full look her breasts had, even from seeing as little as he did. Things weren't as they'd appeared to be.

He swallowed hard, feeling hot and anxious. This was for Sakura. She needed to heal. He hadn't come here with any ulterior motives, he didn't even think he was capable of thinking things that were now swarming his mind. This was all so new to him and Sakura was important. He didn't want to mess anything up, to hurt her anymore. Everything had to be perfect. He may want her even more than he'd originally thought but he wasn't about to rush her.

"This does feel nice, doesn't it?" Sakura sighed, unable to take the quiet a moment longer. She hadn't noticed Sasuke open his eyes, or his reaction and for that he was thankful.

"Ah." He nodded, forcing his eyes to remain closed and his expression stoic. It wasn't easy. He felt nothing close to calm. "Enjoy it."

Sakura rolled her eyes at his words. As if she wouldn't. She was already enjoying herself, very much so. She leaned back against the rocks to gaze at him, taking in the strong look in his arms, his dark and messy hair. His chest really was distracting but his presence alone was intimidating. The girl was certain he'd never looked more appealing to her than he did at that moment.

Even though Sasuke could feel her eyes on him, as if they were burning his skin on their way- he didn't really mind it. A part of him wanted to call her out but then she'd stop and he wasn't so sure that was what he wanted. He may not have understood the infatuation women had with him and his looks but he supposed if anyone deserved the chance to ogle him, it'd be Sakura. It wasn't like she had been able to in the past. Back then it was a far cry just for her to find him, even if only for a few moments and things were never calm back then.

Even when she'd come after him, pretending she'd betray the leaf just to be with him. Even if she'd been being truthful then, he was in no place to appreciate it. Nothing mattered to him then, at least he tried his hardest not to let it. He'd let the darkness consume him, he could only be grateful that his friends had helped bring him back out of it.

When he could take it no longer, he opened his eyes to peer over at her. She was still watching him, her eyes meeting his quickly. She hadn't expected him to be so quiet and distant, even considering the situation. She regarded him curiously, trying to figure out what he was thinking or feeling, but he revealed nothing.

However, when he stood, revealing his naked upper body completely she blushed, her face immediately resembling the color of a tomato. With his eyes closed, he walked closer to her, until he was resting against the same rock, so close there were mere inches from touching. Sakura's heart hammered in her chest and she held her breath as if to calm herself but it did her no good.

"I think we will sleep well after this." He murmured thoughtfully. It felt nice to just relax like so, enjoying the sounds around him and the feel of Sakura next to him. Looking too much might not be the best idea but he craved being with her like this. It was so important to him now.

"Yes, I'm sure we will. I could already go for a nap." She laughed but not for long before she regretted her words and her laugh faded.

"If you're tired you should sleep, you can soak again later."

Sakura tilted her head to look over at him. "Are you planning for us to stay overnight?"

"Of course. As if I'd allow you to make the trip back after you barely made it here in the first place."

"Wha- Barely?!" She glowered, taken aback by his exaggeration. She made it fine and could make the trip again ten times without so much as breaking a sweat. Her fists clenched in annoyance and she glared meaningfully at him. "I'll have you know I am perfectly fine and I made it here easily and will go back right now if you push me!"

He returned her glare with one of his own. "I'd like to see you try it."

"Oh yeah?" She was pissed now and all Sasuke could do was gape at her in astonishment, certain the burn in his cheeks wasn't coming from the hot spring as he watched her storm out, either not thinking or not caring one, about her bare form.

He'd never seen a naked woman before. Everything about her body was different from his. The way her breasts bounced with each step, the way her hips swayed- showing off her perfect backside. How slim her waist was, the low dip in her back. Her toned legs that seemed to fit perfectly with the curves of her body… And her skin, it was flawless. Though he might not have seen _all_ of her, he'd seen more than enough to know that he wasn't willing to wait much longer to see what it felt like to have that body of hers against his.

After that, it took him another several minutes before he was able to leave the hot spring and join her in the room. It seemed as if everything was trying him today, including the atmosphere. He'd spent all that time calming himself, only to be stirred again the moment he was near her. Apparently she'd realized what she'd done and therefore, she was the one curled in a ball on the bed. Sasuke sighed at this. It wasn't all that surprising but he still wished as if she wouldn't feel shame. After all, he planned to be seeing a lot more of her and often.

Still in nothing but his towel, and not completely dry, Sasuke walked over to the lone bed where she lay and leaned over her. His close proximity forced her eyes open and the sight of him only embarrassed her further. She wanted to cry, beyond frustrated with herself but instead she settled for burying her face in the covers.

"Hiding?" He asked darkly, the slightest hint of amusement in his tone.

Sakura pulled down the covers just enough to reveal her eyes and allow her to meet is gaze head on. She knew she really needed to grow up. How was she to ever move forward with her relationship with Sasuke if she couldn't even act right? She had to do better, but for her it was so hard.

"I can't believe this." She groaned before closing her eyes tightly once more and snatching the cover back over her head, his smoldering gaze too intense.

He chuckled. "You're overreacting. As usual."

"Sasuke!" She shouted from under the covers, furious with him once more.

"Stop now, Sakura. This is supposed to be good for you. If you'd like, I could give you some space."

"That's not what I want!" She cried suddenly, sitting up instantly, covers forgotten. The last thing she wanted was for them to be apart, even if she was embarrassed and angry. She looked down after her outburst, feeling guilty for ruining their time out together. This wasn't the time to take for granted.

"Hn." He smirked knowingly. "Good."

/

After a short nap together, the two of them woke up feeling refreshed but hungry. The INN was more than convenient, before they even had time to think about dinner a maid came to ask if they'd like something prepared. It was nice being waited on as they were. The food was good, the drink was even better and without realizing it, they'd talked and drank and enjoyed each other's company until late in the night.

Sasuke was indeed hesitant when Sakura suggested they take another dip in the hot spring, but who was he to deny her? Really he hadn't the slightest interest in doing so, especially in his intoxicated state. Sakura was equally buzzed, cheeks flushed from the alcohol as she stumbled out the back of the room towards the spring, flinging off her clothes along the way.

 _Oh hell._ Sasuke knew this couldn't end well for him.

"Sasuke-kun, what are you waiting for?" Sakura called after a moment and this gave him reason to assume she'd made it into the spring by then so he allowed himself to follow behind her. Thankfully, her naked body was safely under the water and out of sight.

The Uchiha found himself frozen in surprise when he noticed her make no move to avoid her eyes and so, he made no move to strip. Sure the alcohol made him feel a little more open, but there was no way he could strip naked with those eyes on him. At least not without consequences.

"What's wrong Sasuke?" She purred, her voice far too seductive for the situation.

He swallowed hard, at a loss. She was definitely comfortable with the alcohol backing her, but the more confidence she showed, the less he felt he had. The man wasn't so sure he had control anymore and that was something he never wanted to lose, in any situation.

"You're staring." He muttered, deciding to be bold himself. He could blame the alcohol later. "You want to see me naked so bad, huh?"

The flush in her cheeks spread over her entire body and she whirled around so that her back was to him. "Bastard." She cursed him, wishing she could have given him a quick jab in the jaw for that remark.

Sasuke laughed but only took an instant to rid himself of his clothes and join her. He'd brought along a couple of provided robes for the both of them to change into and left them in close reach. He sunk down into the water until it was up to his neck and then he slowly eased his way over to her.

"This feels even better at night." She said with a smile, gazing up at the night sky filled with thousands of stars. It was cool at night but comfortable, perfect actually to enjoy the hot spring.

Sasuke nodded, agreeing with her completely. "It does."

"I wish every day was this simple." She sighed wistfully, though she knew not every day could be so easy, so perfect.

"Simple?" Sasuke scoffed, not particularly liking her word choice.

"There's nothing better than simple. You. Me. Us…"

The next thing he knew, her arms were around him, her naked body flush against his. A yelp of surprise escaped him and he backed up a step, his stomach flipping as she came right along with him. Her naked breasts were soft against his chest, her legs easily found their way around his waist and just as quick as it happened, Sasuke's body came to life in a way he wished it never had. There wasn't enough alcohol in the world to disperse the shame he felt as his body defied him so and what was worse, he had no idea how he could possibly get himself out of such a predicament.

"Does this bother you that much?" She asked, clinging to him shamelessly, her eyes full of a longing Sasuke just wasn't ready to fulfill. He wasn't mentally prepared for such a thing. He might had thought he would be, but he wasn't. His body might have even been ready, but now just wasn't the time for him to be trying such things. They needed to work on their relationship, not consummate it before it barely began but then, he didn't want to upset her either, or make her feel as if he didn't want her.

"Sakura," He began hesitantly, but she was quick to cut him off and just as quick to remove her body from his, leaving him feeling cold- and lonely.

"No, I understand. And, I'm sorry. That was wrong of me."

"It wasn't wrong Sakura. We should take things slow though."

She nodded, knowing full well how right he was. "You're right, but that was totally out of line. I don't know what's wrong with me today." She laughed in spite of herself and Sasuke smiled at this.

"You're something else, you know that?"

/

The remainder of their night had been blissful, they laughed and played in the water before retiring to bed for the night. The following morning, they were served a delicious breakfast before they got on the road and headed home. Sakura truly felt as if she felt even better on their way home, her body was indeed doing its job of healing itself.

"Maybe we should have ramen with Naruto today." Sakura suggested when they were about halfway along and Sasuke agreed. It was important for them to spend time with their friends, any chance they got and that's just what they did.

For a long time, it seemed as if Sakura would always be alone. All of her friends had grown up, found their other half and went about starting their lives together, but she and Sasuke couldn't do that because first, he had to find himself. Now that he had though and he was back, she wouldn't be dateless when she and her friends did go out.

It helped when Naruto brought Hinata along, for ramen later that day, as she'd figured he would. It wasn't as if she minded, she wanted Naruto and Hinata to spend as much time together as possible, she just didn't want to be alone forever. She was glad that was no longer the case.

"It's good to see you out, Sakura." Hinata smiled sweetly at her and Sakura gave her a dismissive wave.

"Oh, I would have been out sooner if Sasuke-kun wasn't so worrisome."

"Sasuke, take it easy on her, eh?" Naruto chided his best friend, cerulean eyes dancing with amusement. Nobody could have been happier for the two of them than he was.

"Hn." Sasuke took his seat, ignoring everyone as he placed his own order. He seemed to be growing more and more fond of ramen, the more he ate it, but there was nothing better than a home cooked meal.

Naruto and Hinata wanted to hang out late, but Sasuke refused, informing them of the importance of Sakura's recovery. She'd made the journey home and even took time to go out and eat with friends, he didn't want her pushing herself. She didn't argue with him either and both of them were quiet on their way home.

It was nice getting out after being cooped up in the house for so long but even still, it felt good to be home for the both of them. Their bellies were full and they'd had plenty of exercise for the day now all they needed was a shower and bed. Sakura was the first to bathe and feeling suddenly exhausted after her bath, she got right into bed while Sasuke went about his own shower.

She was asleep by the time he was out and this amused him. She went on and on constantly about how much better she was, and how great she felt but her body just wasn't in its best shape. She still had a way to go but she was definitely getting there and this pleased him. He wasn't going out of his way to assure her health for nothing. He needed her better and soon. It wasn't known how long he had left in the village before he'd have to leave again and if she wasn't ready, he wouldn't be able to take her along and leaving her behind again just wasn't an option. Truth be told, having her along would be perfect with her abilities.

/

In another week's time, Sakura was finally released by Tsunade. She could work again and more importantly, she didn't have to take Sasuke's crap anymore. She'd come out of the hospital grinning like a fool and Sasuke already knew what was going on. He said nothing to her, merely giving her a roll of his eyes before he started walking, ready to get back home.

With her attitude like it was, Sasuke was beginning to think maybe Sakura didn't like having him around as much as he'd thought she would. She had constantly complained about him caring for her, sometimes even begging him to leave her be. In a way, it hurt for her to be so happy about being better. She wanted to go back to work. Anything to get away from him.

The deeper his thoughts ran, the angrier he became although he wasn't sure why. He was fuming by the time they did make it back home, so much so that he stormed straight through the front door, only to leave Sakura behind, much to her surprise, to go straight out the backdoor. He needed to get away. Maybe the both of them could use some space.

Ending up in the training grounds with the urge to blow off some steam, Sasuke found Naruto there. He was alone, sitting on the ground with his legs crossed. It was some form of meditation, Sasuke noted quickly as he arrived at his friend's side. It would be rude to interrupt his training but today, Sasuke didn't really care.

"Dobe,"

Naruto opened his eyes to glare at Sasuke. "Oy, you see me doing something here, right Teme?"

With a smirk, Sasuke turned his back to Naruto before taking the first of several steps to put distance between them. "Save it for later, let's spar."

On his feet instantly, Naruto grinned broadly. "You sure about that?"

"Would I suggest it otherwise?" Sasuke retorted coldly.

Raising a brow, Naruto crossed his arms over his chest. "Did something happen? You seem… Pissed, ya know?"

Teeth clenching in annoyance, the Uchiha raised his fist towards his best friend and life-long rival. He needed this right now more than Naruto could understand. "Get on with it."

Naruto sighed, barely avoiding the several shuriken flung at him as he did. Sasuke apparently had no intentions of talking to him right now but Naruto didn't mind beating it out of him. Reaching for a kunai, he narrowed his eyes on his best friend. Everything had been going so good he'd thought and all he knew was that he wanted his friends to be happy. He couldn't help if he didn't know what was going on.

Neither of them were using chakra. It wasn't really necessary for a spar and there was always the fear of them getting out of hand. They'd spent ten minutes throwing all the weapons they carried at each other, miraculously neither of them had taken a hit but once they were out of weapons, the hand to hand combat commenced.

Without the slightest bit of fatigue, they went at each other this time both of them landing one punch after the other, a kick here and there. The constant dodging and countering gave them a rush they both craved and slowly, it was satisfying Sasuke's need to release his anger. It would only be so much better if they could use their chakra.

They weren't sure how long they'd been at it but it seemed like days. By now, they were both bloodied up, swollen in all the wrong places and utterly out of breath. Naruto was only growing in anger the further it went because no matter what he tried, Sasuke just wasn't talking.

"Teme," Naruto spat, hitting Sasuke with an uppercut that landed him flat on his back. "why won't you tell me what's wrong?"

"Ugh." Sasuke groaned, nimbly getting back up as he did. "It's none of your concern."

"Like hell it's not!" The blond exclaimed, fists clenched at his sides. "I'm worried about you, and if it involves Sakura, which I'm sure it does, then I'm worried about her too!"

It was all Sasuke could do not to strike down the entire forest, including Naruto right then and there. He couldn't believe after such a long spar, he was still so frustrated. "There's nothing to worry about, dobe."

Sasuke turned his back to Naruto, the spar done. He had nothing to say and he didn't feel any better so he didn't know what to do with himself. He couldn't go back home to Sakura, not feeling like this. She didn't want to see him anyway. She didn't try to stop him from leaving. She didn't come after him even after he'd been gone for hours. He felt like a fool. Had he come to realize his feelings for Sakura, only for hers to fade away?

"Sasuke!" Naruto called in disbelief as he watched his friend start to walk away, but in the next instant he'd disappeared altogether.

/

Sakura was more than a little worried. Sasuke's mood had taken a nosedive the second she was out of her exam. She would admit that maybe she was a little too excited but shouldn't he have been as well? At least, that's how Sakura felt. Sasuke seemed to be outraged at her having her perfect health back and that hurt her.

He wouldn't look at her, and didn't dare utter a sound the entire way back home. By then Sakura was feeling nervous and even guilty for thinking about bragging in the first place. She never wanted him to be mad at her but he was and she didn't understand why. It wasn't like she was going to go out immediately and get herself hurt. She knew he was upset, even if she didn't understand why but still, she never expected him to leave the second they were home. He never said a word, he just left and nothing hurt her more than that.

What if he didn't come back? Where was he even going? What had she done?...

She couldn't go after him. He probably wouldn't want that anyway, for more than a couple reasons. Maybe he just needed some space, after all they had been together twenty-four-seven for the past month now. Maybe he was glad to finally not have to worry about her and so he could go as he pleased, but then that didn't make sense because if he hadn't wanted to be with her, he wouldn't have been.

No, for some reason, he was mad but when it came down to it, there was nothing Sakura thought she could do that would be right, or help the situation. If she'd already made him this angry, she needed to keep her distance. She wasn't trying to run Sasuke away. She loved him too much, needed him so much.

Even up until late that night, Sakura waited for him. She'd cried for a long time and she was even scared at times, thinking of where he might be, how far he could go. For all she knew, he could be long gone- never to be seen again. If he didn't want to be found, he wouldn't be. These were the thoughts that made her cry the hardest, but after so long, she had no more tears to cry. All she could do was hope and pray he'd come home.

Sometime in the early morning hours, Sakura had fallen asleep, her tears staining her cheeks. Sasuke hadn't come home and that depressed her to no end. She got up the next day around noon. She didn't feel good in her mind or her body but she hoped a quick shower would help. It didn't. She was in some type of funk that she just could shake, even as she dressed for the rest of the day. She had no intention of leaving the house, but she still dressed for the occasion. Being a kunoichi, she never knew when she might be called out, even if only to the hospital.

When she came down the hallway to go into the kitchen, she immediately noticed Sasuke on the couch. Heart skipping a beat, she stepped into the living room, only to shriek in horror at the sight of him. Tears filled her eyes as quickly as she made it to his side. She knelt down on the floor, just beside the couch to look over him. He was filthy and reeked of blood. She had no idea what could have happen to him but he was banged up pretty good and obviously exhausted because he was out cold.

Sakura couldn't believe he was really in such a condition, but nevertheless she was glad he was home. It was almost amusing that he could sleep hard enough for her to completely heal him and even then, take the time to wash his face. He was beautiful in every way a man could be and she knew she could never love someone as much as she loved him.

Feeling in much better spirits, Sakura went into the kitchen and went about preparing lunch since it was far too late for breakfast. She made enough to pack bento's for both of them to have lunch and dinner. She was hungry now but she felt like she should wait on Sasuke to wake up so they could enjoy their meal together. Hopefully, he wouldn't be upset anymore and maybe it wasn't her he was mad at to begin with. She could forget her anger if he could. All she wanted anyway, was to be with Sasuke and be happy.

It was Sasuke sitting up suddenly on the couch, that had her shaking away her thoughts. She watched him curiously, but warily. He ran his fingers through his raven locks, looking down seemingly at nothing. Sakura's heart ached just seeing the look of torment in his eye. She wanted to fix whatever the problem was.

"Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke turned to look at her as she came over to him. He loathed the sad look in her eyes, the worry that showed in the way her eyebrows pulled together. He couldn't face her when she was looking like that. He knew he was wrong, long before he'd made it home but that only made everything more difficult for him.

She'd healed him, the second he was awake he knew it. He felt as if he hadn't done a thing the day before, nothing like he'd felt when he finally stumbled in and passed out on the couch. Why wasn't she mad at him? Why did she have to be such an enigma? Sasuke didn't know what to say or do to make things right, but he had to do something.

"It was just a spar, with the dobe." Sasuke explained, feeling as if this was information she needed.

"Oh." Sakura sighed in relief.

"I shouldn't have left like I did and… I'm sorry." Though apologizing came much easier to him than it ever had in the past, it still irked him a tad bit. He wished he'd never do anything to have to apologize for. That was something he could always strive for.

"It's okay, I'm just glad you're home. I'm sorry too." Whatever the problem was, she just wanted to move past it and Sasuke did too. Sakura did nothing to warrant his anger and he wasn't even sure why he let his thoughts wander as he had.

With one swift tug, she was in his lap. He held her against him with his lone arm, burying his face in the crook of her neck as he did. Her hair was growing, just past her shoulders now. It always smelled good and was as soft as it appeared to be. He found nothing but comfort in that moment, being so close to her. It had been so foolish of him to be angry at all in the first place but the past was in the past and he wasn't a man to dread on that- not any longer.

"Are you hungry?" Sakura asked despite her blush. This was a little too close for comfort. The way her body tingled in response to him made her fearful and hesitant.

"Ah." He was starving and she was glad, but even when he released her so she could stand and they were no longer close, her heart still pounded heavily, as if it would never slow again.

Would Sasuke always be able to make her feel this way?

/

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Thanks for reading, hope you like it.**

 **Next chapter will be up in a couple days, Monday at the latest.**

 **Check out my other fics- all SasuSaku (If you haven't already.)**

 **Follow-fav for regular updates and if you can come up with something good, prompt me. (SasuSaku ONLY) I need more to write and sadly I'm at a standstill on a couple fics and who knows when my mind will get back on track?**

 **Sorry- and if you are still hanging in faithfully, thank you.**

 **-TyyTyy**


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

* * *

 **It Was Life**

 _Our mission... Us._

* * *

Sakura's bento's were delicious, both she and Sasuke ate their fill together in the kitchen and later on that afternoon, they had dinner outside under a cherry tree. It was a nice day and the sun didn't set until late. Their earlier insecurities seemed not to mater anymore and neither of them brought the issues up. It was better to forget things like that and focus on what was more important, like being together. They had a relationship to work on and they were both eager to do whatever they needed to do to make it work.

Sasuke was full as he leaned back against the trunk of the tree to relax. As soon as he closed his eyes, they opened in surprise from Sakura leaning against him. Her head laid against his chest as if it was the most natural thing in the world but Sasuke held his breath, fearful she may hear the frantic beating of his heart, so close to her ears.

He said nothing, and he wouldn't have dared to move but he willed himself to calm down. This was something he wanted to get used to. He wanted to be like this with her forever. Those thoughts left him with a newfound courage and so, he wrapped his arm around her to hold her even closer to him. It was okay to feel as he did, he assumed, because no other woman had ever made him feel that way except Sakura.

It had to be right.

Before she fell asleep, because she was close to doing so, Sakura stirred, getting to her feet as soon as Sasuke's arm fell from around her. He watched her from where he sat for only a moment before standing next to her and grabbing the basket they'd brought along. They fell into step next to one another without a word and walked the short distance back home.

As soon as they made it to the front door, an ANBU appeared out of thin air. They both stopped and turned to see what he was there for, Sakura really hoped nothing urgent had come up. She may have agreed to go back to work but she didn't really want to leave Sasuke and she didn't want him to have to leaved her either.

"The Hokage has asked to see you both immediately." With those words, he vanished as quickly as he'd appeared and Sakura exchanged a look with Sasuke before they left the basket on the doorsteps and went along on their way to see Kakashi.

It could have been anything. It made it all the more c9onspicuous though, both of them being called. Unless they would have a mission together, they could only assume Kakashi just wished to check up on them. It had been a while since they'd seen him, or anybody other than Naruto for that matter. The only time Sakura even seen Tsunade was once every couple of weeks for a brief checkup and now that she'd been released she wouldn't even have to do that much.

Then there was always the possibility that he'd want both of them back working, separately even. After all, it had been quite some time since they'd done anything and they both knew it couldn't last forever. They arrived at the Hokage's office, prepared to be briefed and sent out in a matter of seconds, only to find Kakashi kicked back, feet crossed at the ankles resting on his desk, a book to his nose. He didn't seem as if anything serious was going on, especially considering his intoxicated state.

"Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura called in bewilderment. She'd seen her mentor like that many of days, but never Kakashi.

"Ah, just the two I wanted to see." He grinned at them, though the only way they could tell was by the way his eyes lit up.

"What's this about?" Sasuke questioned, eager to get straight to the point. He already had a bad feeling about this.

"Oh, nothing really. It's just… Naruto tells me the two of you have been having some… Troubles."

Sasuke flinched and Sakura's mouth dropped. Him calling them there to question them wasn't expected, on either side.

"Troubles?" Sakura asked as if testing the word.

"Kakashi-"

"Now Sasuke I'm sure you think this is none of my business but I can't just sit quietly by while things don't play out so well with two of my students, now can I?" Kakashi sighed, closing his book and dropping it on the desk with a thud.

"Wait a min-" Sakura began, only to be cut off by Kakashi.

"What I think the two of you need is a change of scenery. It's time for the two of you to get out of here for a while, if you know what I mean…" Kakashi gave them a closed eye smile before continuing. "Anyway, I've decided to give you both a mission. You'll be gathering intel, this will be a long-term mission so you should prepare accordingly. This scroll contains any and all information you will need. You'll need to report once you arrive at your first destination and at least once every few weeks after that, unless of course something occurs that I should know about at a certain time."

This was unbelievable. Sasuke was taken aback by the audacity of his former sensei- turned Hokage. This mission was a total fluke and Sasuke didn't need to see the contents of the scroll he'd taken from Kakashi to verify his assumption. Sakura seemed oblivious, listening intently to his instructions but Sasuke knew easily that this was all just a ruse to try and get him and Sakura closer together, but they were close enough, weren't they?

/

They wouldn't have to leave until the next morning and for this, both of them were glad. It could be days before they would have a place to stay inside on their travels so they both wanted to make good of it, especially Sakura. Sasuke was rather used to traveling, it didn't bother him in the least. It would be an adventure now though, having Sakura with him and he couldn't wait to get it stared.

They both took long showers and even ate what leftovers they had before climbing into bed together. Sakura snuggled close to him, thankful he laid on his back so her head could rest on his chest. He wrapped his arm around her and closed his eyes savoring the comfort of the bed, the covers, her sweet scent. He'd never been more at peace. He was sure being on the road with her with be much the same.

"Goodnight, Sasuke-kun." She whispered and then yawned, wrapping her own arm around him and tucking it under him.

Sasuke smiled at this. "Goodnight, Sakura."

Why couldn't every night be so good?

…

The next morning, they got up, dressed, had breakfast together, gathered their belongings which they'd packed the night before and were out of the village- all before the sun rose. It felt good outside, although it was a little on the chilly side considering the early morning. There was no rush, but they went along at a decent pace, hopping the trees together through the forest.

First, they were headed to the hidden sand. Supposedly, they had a message to deliver, but even that, Kakashi claimed, was no rush. Sasuke didn't understand how Sakura could be so blind, when it was so obvious what he was doing.

It wouldn't take them but two days to make it to the sand and they'd be able to stay there as long as they wished. This _intel_ was so nonsensical. While Sasuke found Kakashi's antics annoying, and downright idiotic- he planned to make good of the opportunity.

They could go back to the village at any time if need be, but for now there was no need- no need even for this so-called _mission_ but the thing was, they weren't needed. There was nothing for them to do other than travel the world and enjoy each other. It was probably best if Sakura didn't think too much of it, so thinking that they were on a mission would keep things easy. There was no rush, but he could make his move when he was ready.

Now if only he could ever get there.

Stopping to rest only after they'd both worked up a hunger, late in the afternoon, they took about half an hour to sit and eat, thought they didn't talk much. Both of them had a lot on their mind. While Sasuke was brooding over the trip, Sakura was having similar thoughts.

She might have been fooled into thinking this mission was a little more serious than it was, but she wasn't blind, nor was she an idiot. Finally, she was traveling with Sasuke. It was just the two of them, on the road, nobody to bother them. It had been a dream of hers for years now. She couldn't wait to show him how great it could be to have her with him. As much as she hated to admit it, she wanted to make him regret not taking her the first time.

She could only imagine how different things would have ended up.

"What are you thinking of?" Sasuke asked, just as they'd finished eating.

Sakura blushed, taken aback by the sudden question, even though it was simple enough. "Uh, n-nothing." She stammered, avoid his eyes as she went about packing up their empty containers into her backpack. They had two more meals, one for that night and then breakfast the following morning.

Hopefully, they would arrive in the hidden sand village on schedule and then they'd be able to eat there and restock before setting out again. Sakura assumed they'd check the contents of the scroll when they arrived there because Sasuke hadn't bothered with it yet.

Glad Sasuke didn't question her further, she got up, ready to get back on their way. Sasuke joined her. The sooner they got going, the closer they'd be. Also, they needed to find a secure and safe location to stay while they slept. As they went along. Sasuke couldn't help still wondering what was going on in her mind.

…

Just as the sun began to set, they found a perfect little secluded area, where they set up camp for the night. Sasuke started a fire while Sakura set up the tent. She was rather good at it, completing the task in under a minute; Sasuke was impressed. Once they were set up, they sat by the fire and enjoyed the meal Sakura had prepared for them. It was much better than the rations Sasuke was used to during his travels.

"Were you ever lonely?" Sakura couldn't help but ask. It had been so quiet, and although she wanted nothing more than to respect his boundaries, she had so many questions. She'd worried about him so long. Never wanting him to be alone, but knowing that he always was. It hurt her. She didn't understand how he did it.

"Sometimes yes." The Uchiha answered honestly, though sometimes it was hard being honest even with himself. He was doing better these days, but there were days he struggled.

When he was in the darkness, he felt much of nothing other than hatred, a hatred that was all consuming, and one he thought he'd never escape from. During his redemption, things were different. He thought often of his friends back home. Naruto. And Sakura. Everything had changed for him that day in the final valley, but he had so much to repent for after that. He wasn't yet the man he needed to be, to come home to them.

She wasn't sure why, but his truthful answer surprised her. She turned to him with wide emeralds, lips parted slightly as she contemplated her next words. She knew she had to be careful. "Do you like it… Me being along with you I mean?"

Sasuke met her gaze with fierce eyes, that held a softness in them just for her. "Of course I do," He said simply before adding, "I intended to take you with me, even if it wasn't required."

Sakura knew this. He'd promised it to her after all. She nodded thoughtfully, turning her gaze to the fire before them. "I just… I don't want to be a burden to you."

"You're not." Sasuke told her, annoyed that she would even consider it. "Annoying maybe, but no burden."

That earned him a glare from the kunoichi. "You always say that." She muttered, saying the words to herself more-so than to him.

He smirked. "Because it's true." Her pout brought along a smile to his face that he was somehow getting used to and he poked her on the forehead, leaning in so that his face was close to hers. She watched him with wide eyes, reeling from the closeness and the tender look on his face. "Don't worry, you may be annoying, but you're mine."

A heat like never before took over Sakura's body, her entire face burned a bright red all the way up to the tips of her ears. He'd just said she was _his._ For a moment, she'd thought her ears deceived her but that wasn't the case. He really said those words and they were all she'd ever wanted to hear, even though she'd known she was his much before then.

"Sasuke-kun…" She breathed in deeply, having lost all her breath after his proclamation. He hadn't budged aside from removing his fingers after poking her forehead with ease. He was so close, face barely an inch away.

He was totally kissable.

The raven-haired love of her life regarded her with knowing eyes. He may have been inexperienced when it came to women on his side, but he'd had many of them throwing themselves at him for nearly his entire life. She wanted him to kiss her, probably wasn't against him taking her body completely and making it his right then and there, but it wasn't like he would do such a thing, there was a time and a place for everything, and this fit neither of those.

He wanted to kiss her, more-so than he'd ever wanted anything at that moment and even though he didn't think it would be perfect, he was sure Sakura would care where they were, or what they were doing. He did though. Needing to make her feel the importance she had to him though, he leaned in and pressed a slight kiss to her forehead, right where he'd poked it. Unable to handle to sudden heartfelt gesture, Sakura fainted instantly.

Sasuke felt defeated. All he wanted to do was show her that he cared, without crossing any lines and yet, here he'd gone and made her fall unconscious. It was silly really, that she would even have such a reaction but he savored it all the same. Eventually, there would be a time when Sakura would be used to him and it would be a fun ride breaking her in.

He carried her to the tent, struggling only slightly with his lone arm as he maneuvered her inside and covered her body. He wouldn't sleep too, someone would have to keep watch but he wanted to lay with her anyway. After putting out the fire and securing their belongings inside the tent with them, he laid next to her. Her body was warm against his and he was sure she'd appreciate his warmth as well. Without the fire to keep them warm, things could get a little chilly overnight.

It was a long time that he'd laid there, listening to the crickets and the wind, and Sakura's quiet breathing. He was tired himself, but he still didn't want to sleep on the off chance someone did stumble across them. Really, he knew he'd be fine to skip sleep for the night altogether, if it came down to it. If Sakura didn't happen to wake up on her own in time to take watch for a few hours before they'd need to head out, Sasuke wasn't going to wake her. He wanted her to rest, he could rest later. He'd rested more than enough lately, that was another thing he just wasn't used to.

"Sasuke-kun?" Her sleepy voice surprised him. In a way, he'd hoped she would have just slept the night out without waking. He would actually feel guilty about her keeping watch for him to sleep anyway, even though he knew it was unavoidable.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, his voice barely a whisper. It was hoarse and velvety at once and just the sound of it sent a shiver down her spine.

"I'm fine." She yawned and stretched, the movement causing his hold on her to loosen, though only slightly. "I uh… I'll take watch now, so get some sleep."

It only took a moment for her to remember what had happened. She couldn't believe she would actually faint after such an intimate moment with Sasuke. She was angry with herself because of it and she wanted him to sleep so she could collect her thoughts without being so embarrassed.

Sasuke understood and while he hated to do it, he knew if he tried to object she'd only get mad at him, so begrudgingly he relented and gave into sleep. Sakura was glad. It felt good having Sasuke pressed so closely against her, but she was thankful he was asleep because she just seemed to be unable to collect herself. She had to steel herself, so she could be the woman that Sasuke needed.

Telling herself it had been from the shock, she didn't scorn herself too much for fainting after he'd kissed her forehead. No matter what though, she couldn't allow herself to do something like that again. What if he'd really kissed her, on the lips- if she passed out she wouldn't be able to enjoy it, or kiss him back and he'd more than likely lose all faith in her.

Something stirring outside brought her out of her wayward thoughts, but after taking the trouble to escape Sasuke's hold and exit the tent, she only found a couple rabbits. They ran off quickly and she sighed in relief. She hadn't known what to expect, but she was thankful it was nothing. She got back in place next to Sasuke, careful not to wake him, even so much as taking his arm and wrapping it back around her. Even lying on the ground seemed like the most comfortable place in the world as long as she was next to Sasuke. His hand fisted into her shirt in his sleep and he stiffened. She wondered if he was dreaming and prayed silently that if he was, they were good dreams.

/

Sakura was out of the tent long before daybreak. Sasuke would be up by then at the latest so she had less than half an hour to stretch and ready their supplies for breakfast. After making sure the area was secure, she went down to the river that was close by, gathered some water and went back to boil it. It was much more difficult trying to start a fire for her, than it was for Sasuke- obviously. She gathered the firewood though and went about trying to light it the old-fashioned way, sadly she only kept breaking sticks in her attempts and she was quickly becoming annoyed.

"Let me help you with that."

"Oh," Sakura turned, surprised at the sound of Sasuke's voice. He gave her a smile before lighting the fire instantly. Sakura blushed but turned her attention quickly to setting up the pot holder so she could boil the water. While she waited for it, she pulled out their breakfast.

"Did you rest well enough?" He asked as he took a seat next to her on the ground.

She nodded, a happy smile on her face as she proceeded to set out their meal. "I did, I feel like I slept all night actually." Just as she'd finished setting out their food, the water began to boil and she removed it from the fire so it could cool. The had enough to drink with their meal, but they'd need some for their travels and she wanted to have extra just in case of sandstorms.

Noticing Sasuke had already began to eat, she used her chopsticks to grab an eggroll and stuff it in her mouth while at the same time, she went about filling their water bottles. It was probably going to be a long day and traveling in the sand was never easy. Then again, Sakura supposed even that would be enjoyable if she had Sasuke with her.

"You seem excited." Sasuke noted, there was only a subtle change in her attitude, her facial expressions, but he caught it.

Sakura giggled at this. "It's not that I'm excited, I'm just ready to get there is all." Sakura rather enjoyed visiting the sand village and her comrades there, but she didn't feel the need to elaborate.

"I see." Sasuke muttered as he continued with his meal. Sakura continued eating as well, after all they both wanted to get on the road as soon as possible.

As soon as they were finished eating, they packed up and got on their way. They hoped to make it by late afternoon but if worst come to worse, they'd arrive no later than nightfall. Sakura's backpack felt heavy and she'd be glad to have it off and be able to spend some time in another village with Sasuke. It was exciting enough just running through the forest with him, occasionally landing on the same branch at the same time and the way he smirked at her…

Kami, her heart couldn't take it.

When they made it close to their destination, they slowed being that they ended up way ahead of schedule. They walked through the remainder of the forest together, slowly. The desert was a mere mile away. Sakura blushed when she noticed how close Sasuke walked next to her. Once again, she found herself in awe by his presence alone. She wished she could just watch him forever.

"You're staring." He mumbled under his breath, calling her out purposely. Her blush deepened just as he knew it would.

"Am not!" She denied it all too quickly, turning her head in the entire opposite direction of him, not even bothering to watch her step and because of which, she tripped over a branch almost instantly.

Sasuke reached out, steadying her before she even had a chance to stumble. "Are you alright?"

"F-fine, I'm fine!" She declared shamefully, her embarrassment growing by the second.

"Relax." Sasuke scoffed, rolling his eyes at her. Sometimes she was nothing like her old self, then other times, that's all he could see in her.

Sakura scolded herself for acting so childish. She didn't want to be this way when it came to him anymore, she wanted to be mature, like she should be; like she thought she was. Somehow though, he seemed to bring that side out of her more often than she'd like. She didn't want to push him away by acting like some crazed fan-girl of his. That wasn't what she was, at least not anymore.

"We should have a drink before heading into the desert. Hopefully we can make it through quickly."

Sasuke nodded, pleased that she seemed to keep her head in the game. "We can rest for a bit, if you'd like."

"I'm fine." She shook her head, though she appreciated the offer. They both took a moment to drink and then they were on their way again, the dryness of the sand getting to both of them shortly after it started. Sakura could never get used to it, no matter how many times she traveled it.

It was hot, whereas the temperature had been mild for the entire first day and a half of their trip. They wasted no time, running through the desert. It was a stretch and people had died in the open but they hadn't come into any complications so far. Halfway through however, the wind and the sand along with it picked up, signaling a storm was likely to come.

"We should find somewhere to wait it out." Sasuke suggested. "Better safe than sorry."

Sakura couldn't have agreed more.

They found a cave just twenty meters ahead of them. Once inside, they were safe, though they made sure to keep a good distance from the entrance of the cave just in case things got worse. Sakura felt like she had sand everywhere, in all the wrong places but there wasn't much she could do about it with Sasuke right next to her, so she would just have to suffer.

Sasuke sat on the ground and pulled Sakura down onto his lap. There was only a limited amount of light in the cave and Sasuke only hoped the storm would blow over before night fell.

"You're not hurt, are you?" Sasuke asked, his smooth voice etched with concern. He noticed the way she squirmed in his lap, and honestly it was _bothering_ him.

"No, I'm fine. Just a little sand." She laughed, looking up at him, though she could barely see him as dark as it was.

"Figures we'd catch a storm, huh?"

"Yeah…" Sakura sighed, leaning against him, her head resting against his chest. She could have easily gone to sleep. Sasuke was so comfortable and this surprised her, considering how toned and strong his body was. How could something so not-soft be so comfortable to lay against? She didn't know, but she didn't care either, all she knew was it was right and there was no place she'd rather be.

"You're tired, you should sleep. I'll wake you once the storm subsides."

"But-"

"No buts." He cut her off, effectively ended the argument before it started. "Just sleep."

She didn't really want to argue anyway, not with sleep calling for her as it was and with him telling her to sleep, in his hold no less. Sakura was happy. She was in love. Nothing in the world could ruin the elated feeling she had as she slipped into the dream-world, finding Sasuke there as well.

/

Watching her sleep intrigued him, so much that even after the storm was long gone, he did just that. She was so strong, so capable and yet she felt so small in his lap. She still smelled good, even after two days of travel and she was soft, nothing like he was.

With the strength that she had, he'd have expected her body to be more bulky, muscular even but she was all woman, slim and beautiful; delicate even. Even though he was sure he'd known for a while, he knew without a doubt as he watched her sleep peacefully in his arm that he loved her- and even more so was in love with her.

Knowing he'd wasted enough time and not willing to allow her to wake up herself and notice the storm was over, he shook her a bit, whispering next to her ear for her to wake up. She groaned, having obviously already gotten into a deep sleep before he woke her but with a following yawn, she was wide awake.

"Wow, I slept like a log."

Thanks to Sasuke, she was sure. She'd slept so soundly. They were both certain she could have slept for the remainder of the night with no problem.

"We should get out of here before another storm comes." Sasuke suggested, secretively shaking his arm for a moment once they were standing to rid it of its numbness. He hadn't even noticed until he wasn't holding her anymore.

Nodding her agreement, Sakura led the way out of the cave and they hurried along towards the sand village entrance. They were welcomed just as warmly as Sakura assumed they'd be. They happened to cross paths with Temari, the Kazekage's elder sister on their way to deliver the letter.

"Delivering a letter to Gaara, I see." She smirked, eying first Sakura and then Sasuke. "I was just on my way to see him, so I'll join you."

Though Sasuke wasn't into the idea, he wasn't about to voice his opinion and Sakura didn't seem to mind having her along. The two women quickly started a conversation that Sasuke paid no attention to, what with all the giggling, he assumed he'd rather not know anyway.

"Lord Gaara," Sakura acknowledged the Kazekage immediately upon entering the room. Sasuke gave him a mere nod of his head and Temari rounded his desk to stand next to him. "We've come to deliver a letter from the Sixth."

After Sakura's explanation, Sasuke retrieved the scroll containing the message from his pouch and handed it over to Gaara. The Kazekage took it, opening it immediately for inspection. A faint smile traced his features as he read over the contents, destroying the scroll the instant he was done.

"So, where is your mission taking you?" Gaara asked curiously. "Sakura, you know we welcome you anytime and I would appreciate it if you would stay while you can, or for as long as you want."

Beaming, Sakura nodded. "We'd love to stay, at least for a night if it's okay."

"Of course, like I said you can stay as long as you want." Gaara told her, a kind smile on his face. "Temari would you show them to a guest house?"

"Certainly." She gave her brother a smile, before turning it to their guests. "Just follow me. I'll be back in a bit Gaara."

Sasuke and Sakura followed the skilled, sand kunoichi out and into town. It was a straight shot to the guest house she leads them to and it was rather nice, to be offered to them for no cost. Temari bid them farewell the moment they arrived and they quickly went about checking the place out.

It was clean, no sand and fully furnished. The house itself was two stories, the bedrooms upstairs while the kitchen and living area was downstairs. They made themselves at home, finding a room for them to share. They'd become used to sleeping together by now so there was no point in them having separate rooms. They unpacked and then both showered, thankful there were two bathrooms where they could both get clean without having to wait.

They dressed and left the guesthouse in search of the grocers. They were both hungry but thought it best if they bought their own food to cook instead of going out. They would stock up before leaving, but for now they just got what they'd need for the night and next morning.

Sakura enjoyed shopping with Sasuke and finding out all the things he liked and more importantly, the many things he hated. He sure was a picky eater but tomatoes were a long-time favorite of his and for that, Sakura was thankful. She'd known this for a long time and gained knowledge accordingly. There were dozens of tomato-based dishes she'd learned to prepare, one of which she planned to introduce to him as soon as they were back in the guesthouse.

They sat down the bags filled with groceries on the counter and Sakura quickly went about unloading everything and pulling out what she'd need for the night's meal. She put the rest up for later, moving too fast Sasuke didn't have a chance to help, or even think of what he could do to help, so he sat at the kitchen table and watched her while she worked.

She didn't need his help, she was amazing it seemed, at everything she did. Since there was nothing else to do and he didn't want to get caught staring at her, he dug their mission scroll out of his pouch and unraveled it. The mission was more bogus than he'd first thought, it was so bad that he couldn't have even allowed Sakura to read it. The intel was supposedly to be collected on these wanderers, it was a mission that was next to impossible to be completed and originally, never intended to be.

There wasn't the slightest of details on these so-called wanderers, no specific locations, no number of suspects. Even at the end of the paper was a note from Kakashi.

- _Have fun!_ -

Sasuke glared at the paper, cursing Kakashi in his mind. Sakura would probably stomp her way back to the village the second she read it, so Sasuke would keep it to himself and drag it out as long as he could, or until they were needed for something real.

Something smelled delicious all of a sudden, and Sasuke found himself on his feet and following the scent coming from the stove. A pot full of what appeared to be tomato soup was just beginning to boil, Sakura was chopping up various vegetables to add in and even they smelled good. Sasuke stomach made a sound to testify its hunger but thankfully, Sakura didn't notice.

The male watched in wonder as she added all her ingredients, stirring the pot consistently as she did. Once she was satisfied, she put the lid on the pot and turned the stove down a bit so it could cook. It would be a little while but definitely worth the wait. Sasuke remembered his mother making something similar when he was a child and he could already taste it.

His mouth watered whenever she went about rolling dough to be baked and eaten along with the soup. Sakura was more skilled than he'd ever anticipated. He loved every new thing he learned about her, and the more time he spent with her, the more he did learn. She wasn't as hesitant as she'd been when he'd first come back but still, it didn't appear as if she would be making any moves in their relationship any time soon.

It annoyed Sasuke that he could do nothing, and with her paying him no attention as he hovered her, busy as she was, he decided it best if he give her some space. The living area had a small, but comfortable couch. Sasuke sunk down into it, closing his eyes for a brief moment of rest. There was nothing else for him to do and he didn't want to keep getting in Sakura's way. She'd call for him when she was ready, or if she needed him for any reason.

Feeling as if he had only just dozed off that instant, Sakura called for him and he was up and making his way into the kitchen without thinking twice. It didn't surprise him that she'd already filled a bowl for him and had it waiting on the table. She was always doing anything she could to make it easier on him, but he wasn't used to letting anyone do that for him so even though he tried not to say anything, it irked him.

Taking his seat, he sighed as he watched her set her bowl next to his, taking the time then to pour them both a glass of iced water. She already had the fresh-baked rolls in a basket on the table and everything smelled so good. Sasuke had to force himself not to dig in right away. He wanted to wait on her, she deserved that respect. He'd give her that if she wouldn't allow him to give anything else.

She took her seat, just as eager to eat as he was. "What are you waiting for." She giggled before excitedly taking a taste of her creation. She'd only cooked this soup once before but it turned out even better than she'd expected, though she considered it being due to her hunger.

Sasuke joined her, not having to be told twice and all it took was one taste for him to know it was the best soup he'd ever had. Even the rolls were delicious, and went well together with the soup. He cleaned his bowl, not complaining at all when Sakura got up and filled it once more. He could definitely go for seconds.

Sakura was stuffed after only her first and she went about cleaning as Sasuke finished up his second bowl. He joined her at the sink, bringing his dishes and placing them in the soapy water to be washed. Letting her continue to wash as she was, he assumed the rinsing, it was a much easier task with him having one arm. They made quick work of it and after a few minutes, the entire kitchen was spotless.

It wasn't too late, but both of them wanted to fall asleep soon after their meal. Neither of them wanted to pass up the opportunity to catch up on their sleep for the night. They could always do more the next day. Sasuke couldn't help worrying about Sakura's health as well. She may seem to be better, but it wasn't so long ago she was standing at death's door, and that wasn't something easily forgotten by the Uchiha.

"I'm kind of tired." Sakura mumbled, looking away from him shyly. "Do you um… I mean if you are too… We-"

"Let's go to bed."

He took her hand, pulling her along behind him and smirking only when she couldn't see his face. It was all too amusing, the way she acted. Sasuke loved it, but took pity on her. It was much easier that way.

They got in bed, not bothering to dress down. Sakura yawned as she snuggled against Sasuke, surprisingly the best pillow she'd ever had- if he could have been considered such. Sakura's fingers curled into his shirt at his chest, just next to where her face laid. He smelled good, a heady mixture of soap, shampoo and him. Sakura inhaled deeply, enjoying the scent of him. His arm was around her back, resting on her arm which felt cold under his warm hand.

"Will we need to leave tomorrow?" She asked just after her eyes closed, seemingly for good.

Sasuke rolled his eyes to himself, cursing Kakashi once again. "If you want, but we'd be safe to stay a few days if you'd like."

"We should stay then, at least for a day or two."

"Ah." Sasuke agreed, wanting nothing more than that moment. It felt so right, he was so at peace, and so was she. Barely a minute later, both of them were sleeping soundly.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **So... Are the chapters too long?**

 **Updates too soon?**

 **Like it, hate it?**

 **I really hope you like it and want more! :)**

 **What do you guys think about Sasuke and Sakura's travels together?**

 **And who is keeping up with Boruto? Honestly, I love it and can't help feeling we will get some SasuSaku moments sooner or later.**

 **NEXT CHAPTER THE JOURNEY CONTINUES-**


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

* * *

 **It Was Life**

 _Travels..._

* * *

Even though both travelers had been exhausted and feeling as if they could sleep for an entire day, they were both up for the day before the sun even was. Sakura was so happy. She woke up with a smile and it didn't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. Sasuke took a shower while Sakura wandered downstairs into the kitchen. She was still in her night clothes but she wanted to go ahead and get breakfast started. After they were fed, she could shower herself and get dressed, then they could explore the town a little more.

It would be nice, she knew, as long as she was with Sasuke. She was so excited and over something so small. Still, as she began serving both of them only half an hour later, she was smiling. Sasuke noticed this and though he made no comment, he was pleased to see her in such good spirits. He chuckled to himself when after she ate, she ran to the bedroom claiming she had to get dressed, not even bothering to clean their mess.

It was so unlike her.

Sasuke didn't mind though, in fact he was nothing short of pleased that she didn't bother with it and instead, it was something he could do for her. By the time she came back, dressed and ready to head out, the kitchen was spotless. She frowned, only momentarily. She hadn't meant to leave the mess for him to clean, honestly, she hadn't even thought about it but before she could beat herself up about it, Sasuke was offering her his lone hand.

Smiling sweetly at the man she loved with all her heart, she took his hand gladly and they left the guesthouse together. It was so early that not many people were out and about, most of the shops were closed and the ones that were open, were only just opening. That didn't bother the two, being that their main objective for going out was just to enjoy the scenery and each other's company.

The walk was nice, no travel gear. Sakura felt light and giddy as they made their way back to the guesthouse later that afternoon. They'd been out for a long time and on their way back took the time to check out most of the shops on their way. More food had been a necessity and though they had stopped somewhere for lunch earlier in the day, Sakura was ready to cook dinner.

Sasuke loved her cooking so much that even if he wasn't hungry, he could eat but by the time they were back and she'd started cooking, he was ready for something else to eat. He had no idea what she was going to make, but he was sure it would be good anyway. Not wanting to bother her, he stayed in the living area, sitting on the couch quietly with his eyes closed. He listened to her movements, savored each scent that filled his nostrils and every time she'd say something to herself, he'd bite his lip to keep from laughing.

Cute was a word that he didn't know was even in his vocabulary, but to him, that's what Sakura was most of the time. She was beautiful, as she was many things but most of the time, cute fit her perfectly. He got up with a content sigh when she finally called for him and they sat together and ate, just as they always did.

"Thank you." Sasuke told her earnestly, just as she took her seat beside him.

She blushed, those two words coming from him would always touch her. "There's nothing to thank me for."

Not bothering to respond to that, Sasuke continued with his meal and in only a few short minutes he was finished, feeling full to the point of misery. He groaned aloud, unable to help himself. Sakura giggled, leaning over to rub his belly. Her touch was foreign to him but he liked it, he didn't flinch or push her away but his eyes found hers the instant she touched him. Her laughed ceased to exist as her breath caught at the way he was looking at her.

Embarrassed and feeling as if she'd crossed a line, Sakura looked away, getting up from her chair to escape. "Sakura," Sasuke called, stopping her with a quick grab of her wrist.

"I-I'm sorry." She shook her head, frazzled.

"Stop acting ridiculous." Sasuke sighed, forcing her back around to face him, now on his feet himself. With his hand under her chin, he forced her head back, giving her no choice but to meet his gaze head-on.

Face reddening, she blinked rapidly at him. "I didn't mean-"

"Constantly misunderstanding," He huffed in annoyance, his eyes narrowing on her. "Always so hesitant… Don't you realize by now how different things are?"

Sakura swallowed hard, unsure what he meant and therefore had no way to respond.

"I want you, all of you, all the time." Those words caused her heart to race. She held her breath as his thumb traced along her bottom lip, his eyes following it. "I want you to be confident in knowing that. I'll never force you away, so stop being so afraid of everything. Touch me, tell me what you want. I'm yours just as you are mine."

So many words, so heart-warming, so sincere. Tears brimming in her eyes, Sakura kissed him. On her tiptoes, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down to her, their lips meeting in a soft, sweet kiss. She tasted good and as soon as the first kiss had taken place, Sasuke was crushing her against him and kissing her hard.

His tongue coaxed her lips apart and she groaned as her tongue met his but just as she tasted him, he pulled away breaking the kiss after one more sexy pull to her lips. Sakura panted against his lips, so close they still brushed against hers. Hands resting on his shoulders now, she opened her eyes, her gaze cloudy as she took him in.

Lips parted and hair a mess, Sasuke looked nothing short of lustful, like sin on legs. Sakura's knees trembled with the exhilarating feeling that had taken over her body. She felt uncomfortable with the unfamiliar feeling in her body. Sasuke's hand came back up to her face and he tucked her hair behind her ear, giving her a sexy, half-smile.

"I'm glad you understand."

Blushing furiously, she looked away, unwinding her arms to release him. She looked so beautiful, especially with the way those eyes told him everything. She wanted him and even if she didn't realize it, he did. That made it all the more difficult for him to refrain from pulling her right back against him and taking her then and there.

Surprised by the dark turn his thoughts had taken, Sasuke could only back away from her. He turned around feeling as if he may need a moment alone. Even though he wanted her, he had no idea how to just go about it and he didn't want to scare her away. She wasn't ready for that, they needed to establish their relationship first. Sasuke was more than willing to do that, but he was still a man who was becoming more and more noticeable of his needs. Eventually, he'd act on them and he hoped by then, she would be ready.

"Sasuke-kun?"

"I'm going to shower." He said simply, walking away without another word.

Sakura sighed, both relieved and disappointed that he left her like that. A part of her wished he would have kissed her again, and never stopped but the majority of her was glad he'd given her a few moments to compose herself. Her heart was still pounding, her breathing still labored. She went out onto the front porch and took a seat on the steps, hoping the fresh air would help calm her down.

Just as she looked out to the road before her, she noticed Temari along with a couple male jounin. Sakura waved with a friendly smile on her face and Temari stopped, smiling back at the pinkette. The males seemed to recognize Sakura, both of them giving her warm greetings.

Standing to be respectful, Sakura greeted them back sweetly. She felt slightly uncomfortable by the way they kept looking at her and one of the men she'd encountered before. He'd asked her out but she'd refused him. The thought of Sasuke returning from his shower and finding them bothered her. She didn't want him getting the wrong idea, but Sasuke probably wasn't the jealous type anyway, surely she didn't have anything to worry about.

"Are you enjoying your stay?" Temari asked politely.

Sakura nodded. "Yes, it's lovely. I can't thank you all enough for everything."

"It's nothing." The blond woman waved her off with a laugh.

"Yes, its nothing but a pleasure to have you here in the hidden sand, Sakura-san." One of the men piped in.

"It's true, you've aided us many times over the years. You'll always be welcome amongst us."

Temari seemed to notice the way the guys' eyes sparkled as they admired Sakura, throwing one compliment after the other at her. Though she only raised a brow at this, she couldn't help noticing how uneasy Sakura seemed to be because of it. One of the jounin helping her for the day seemed to be extra-interested. He'd inched his way closer to the poor girl until he was towering over her. Temari had to bite her lip to keep from laughing when he grasped on of her hands in both of his and went about asking her out.

"While you're here do you think you might like to have dinner with me? I know you've said no in the past but-"

Just as his words ceased, a large hand plopped down on her head and she gasped as she felt the presence behind her. It was Sasuke, she knew it but she dared not turn to even glance at him.

"We would take you up on that offer, I mean, dinner is hard to turn down. Unfortunately, we have a lot of preparing to do tonight and we will be leaving early tomorrow morning."

Sakura's mouth fell open as she listened to Sasuke. What on Earth had he meant by _we…_ And they would be leaving early the next morning, that was news to her. He'd just told her that they should stay a few days, there was no rush. Something must have happened. The air around them felt so suffocating that Sakura didn't move, she didn't understand exactly what was going on but she felt as if she shouldn't say anything.

Temari was impressed. She hadn't expected to see such a change in Sasuke. She didn't know him, but she'd known enough to know he would never show such feelings in the past. She supposed the news of how deep his bond with Sakura was, was true. The jounin had long since dropped Sakura's hand, well aware of just who the man standing before him was. He wasn't sure if he should apologize or just run away.

"Well uh, have a safe trip." He muttered, turning to take his leave quickly. Temari giggled quietly, waving goodbye to the couple.

"Well then see you two around."

"Bye Temari." Sakura called after her, blinking after the group as they walked away.

Sasuke left her there, walking away almost the same instant they'd disappeared. He was infuriated. Not with her, but the bastards that had been undressing her with their eyes, wishing they could have her. He'd die first. He'd never been so pissed over something so simple. He knew Sakura didn't want them, all she wanted was him and it had always been that way, so why was he still so angry about it.

Nervous about the way Sasuke had acted, including the way he left so quickly, completely silent. She was hesitant to even go inside afterwards, but she did so anyway. She'd have to face him sooner or later and if they really were leaving early the next morning, she had to prepare.

The thought didn't please her. She'd been so happy about spending time with Sasuke and even though she'd still be with him, she wished they could have had a little more time before getting back on the road. She wouldn't argue with him, she'd follow him anywhere anyway but she still wished he wouldn't have got so upset.

She didn't find him downstairs and although she considered not taking her search of him further, she wandered upstairs. He was in the room they shared, lying in the bed on his back. His eyes closed, arm behind his head, he was so still he appeared to be sleeping but Sakura knew better. Unsure if she should bother him, she pondered turning around and walking right back out but she needed answers.

"Shouldn't we go to the market since we're leaving early? I'd like to stock up so we can eat healthily."

Sasuke didn't move. He was in such a sour mood, it was all he could do to keep his face from scrunching up. "I'll go."

Frowning, Sakura watched in confusion as he got up, with those words alone. "You want to go alone?"

"Hn." Sasuke refused to look at her, her heart sunk into her stomach because of this. "I won't be gone long."

She watched him go, taken aback by his actions and she stood there, staring at the door he'd left through for a long time after he'd gone.

/

It seemed impossible for her to understand his actions. He'd been so cold, it was hard to believe it was from a bad mood. If he wasn't mad at her, to be sure he wouldn't be taking it out on her. It hurt for him to leave her behind, especially when she needed to do the shopping. How would Sasuke even know what she needed? Upset that things had turned out such a way, she took a long shower, getting as clean as possible and then she packed all her things away, so all she'd have to do is grab her bag in the morning.

She got in bed before Sasuke was back, unsure she could face him again after the way he'd acted. It left her at a loss, she wouldn't know what to say or do with him in such a mood, so she'd rather not ace him at all. Sadly, she was unable to fall asleep due to so much occupying her mind. She was sure she hadn't been in bed long before she heard him downstairs.

The Uchiha thought that he'd been angry before, but after leaving Sakura at the guesthouse, each step he took seemed to feed his anger and that anger turned from those hungry-eyed men to himself. He'd acted as if he was upset with her and that was definitely not the case. He'd beaten himself up the whole way back to her. He knew she'd be upset with him and he wasn't sure exactly how he'd smooth it all out but he knew he had to do it.

He'd been a fool, fearing another confrontation and forcing her to stay behind. She more than likely hated him now, but not as much as he already hated himself. He hadn't even known what kind of foods she wanted to take along with them and the variety he'd had to get because of that would weigh them down considerably.

They wouldn't leave food to be wasted.

He left everything on the kitchen table, thinking to himself that he'd pack it all before they left the next morning. Heading upstairs, he braced himself for whatever was to come but he hoped she'd forgive him for acting so childish. He regretted it and if he could have gone back, he would have changed his actions but since he couldn't, he had to face her and try to make things right again.

He opened the bedroom door to find her in bed, she didn't bother pretending to sleep, her eyes met his the instant the door was opened. Sasuke frowned, knowing he was the cause of the crease in her brows, the pout on her face. Steeling himself, he crossed the room and sat on the bed beside her.

"I'm sorry." He blurted the words out, needing her forgiveness but feeling no better after the words left his lips.

Sakura averted her eyes, looking down at the covers instead with sad, green eyes. "So am I."

"Sakura," Sasuke sighed, feeling defeated. "you have no reason to be sorry. I know I over-reacted but I just got so angry, I couldn't help it."

"If you're not mad at me, then-"

"Of course I'm not mad at you." Sasuke cut her off quickly. "It was those bastards that pissed me off."

Confused, Sakura took a minute to put together in her mind, just what he meant. Was Sasuke indeed jealous, and that jealously what led him to acting so? The thought was interesting to the young woman. She looked to him in question, opening her mouth to speak before shutting it right back with a snap.

"What? I know you're mad but you have to understand." He told her, knowing full well if things had been the other way around, she wouldn't have liked it either.

When she thought about it, she did understand, very well in fact. However, she hadn't expected Sasuke to feel such a way, but knowing that he did thrilled her. Maybe she shouldn't have been so elated knowing Sasuke was jealous over her, but she was. Before she knew it, she was grinning from ear to ear and Sasuke was gaping at her, the look strange on his face.

"Sasuke-kun, I can't believe you were jealous."

Startled by those words, Sasuke flinched. Ashamed, his cheeks flushed slightly but not enough for Sakura to notice. He looked away in his embarrassment. "How could I not be, Sakura?"

Though she was shocked by his words, she managed to retort, "How could you be, when all I've ever wanted is you- And you know that better than anyone. Don't you?"

Those words were enough to bring his gaze back to hers. He felt good knowing that she still felt that way, it wasn't even that he had ever doubted it. Just the thought of those bastards, or anybody for that matter giving her those lustful eyes was enough to make him want to go to war all over again.

"I've done you wrong, so many times. I… I've even tried to kill you." Sasuke whispered, letting her know he had just as many insecurities as she. "I wouldn't blame you if you wanted someone else, someone who would never make you feel that way."

"Sasuke-kun, things are different now. You're not the same. I know that your feelings are genuine and I'm happy. All I ever wanted was for you to see the light and now that you have, I just want us to be together forever."

Sasuke watched her, she sat up in bed as she spoke, even taking his hand in hers. Her words were nothing but honest and sincere. His chest filled with a warmth at knowing she understood. She would always care about him. If her feelings hadn't changed yet, they wouldn't change so easily, just because of some other man asking her out. She wanted him, she had him.

He'd do whatever he had to, to make sure she knew it.

With a gasp, Sakura braced herself as Sasuke suddenly jumped at her, on top of her in an instant, his lips claiming hers in a kiss so powerful she felt the world spin. His body pressed against hers, firm and strong as the kiss continued and a soft moan escaped her into his mouth. The sound delighted the Uchiha and in turn, he kissed her harder, tasting her sweet mouth and pressing his body against her even heavier, loving how soft and fragile she felt beneath him.

Breathless, he pulled away. He'd surprised himself by coming onto her so quickly and he knew in that instant that he had to stop now, or he never would. Sakura's gaze was half-lidded as she stared up at him in wonder, she wanted all of him. He might think she wasn't ready but for him, she'd been ready and she wished he wouldn't hold back. She wouldn't think twice about giving herself to him. By now, all of her friends had already lost their virginities and talked about such things with such excitement that Sakura couldn't wait to experience the act herself.

She knew though as he rolled off of her to lay beside her that nothing of the sort would be happening. She sighed but she didn't want to push him on the matter so she just hugged up to him, happy to get whatever closeness she could out of him. Sasuke held her to him, wanting her to know how much she really meant to him, the last thing he wanted her to think was that he didn't want her.

Kami knew he did.

/

Their travels over the next couple of days led them to a secluded civilian village. While they hadn't anticipated coming across it and planned to be on the road for another few days before they arrived in the hidden cloud, they thought it'd be best if they made good of the opportunity. The place wasn't big, but the people were friendly enough, though some of them did appear to have a fear of Sasuke. Nobody would blame them, he had made a name for himself over the years- one that would always follow him.

There was only one place to eat, a small hole in the wall. The only other customers were a few old drunkards and a rather loud group at the back of the place. Sasuke and Sakura took a seat at a private table, though both of them were a little apprehensive about the place. A lady about twenty years their elder pranced over to them, making eyes at Sasuke. She may not have been jealous of the woman, but Sakura was still annoyed by her. Nothing was more disrespectful than a woman coming onto a man who was already with a woman.

"Drink?" She asked, a tell-tale slur in her voice.

"What do you have to eat?" Sakura asked, far too hungry to think about alcohol.

The woman merely gave Sakura a brief glance before turning back to Sasuke, ignoring her altogether. "What d'ya say? A little sake?" The woman leaned over their table, causing her barely concealed breasts to come far too close to Sasuke.

Sakura grit her teeth, fully prepared to put a hurting on that old lady but before she could do anything, Sasuke was up and brushing past the woman. He grabbed Sakura's hand and hauled her up onto her feet in an instant and before she knew it, they were out of the small tavern and heading out of the village.

"Sasuke-kun?" Sakura whispered as she struggled to keep up with his quick, long strides. She stared at the back of his head before looking down to her hand that he was holding, using it to pull her along.

"I'm not staying somewhere like this." He said, these words more than enough explanation for both of them.

Sakura smiled as she remembered just how much Sasuke hated fangirls. Even more than she did. It wasn't as if they'd planned to stop somewhere anyway so Sakura didn't mind getting right back on the road, but she was a little hungry. They hadn't eaten since breakfast and hadn't ate much then. They couldn't exactly have full-course meals out in the middle of nowhere.

Having the supplies would make it simple enough but being that they traveled with one pot, the things they could cook were limited. Still, they ate when they could, and had it not been for them running across that village, they would have already stopped by now to have lunch.

They hadn't been on the go for another half an hour before Sakura stopped him, grabbing a hold of his empty sleeve as they'd landed on the same branch at the same time. He stopped quickly, turning to her in question. Her stomach growled as if on cue and all the blood drained from her face. Nothing had ever been more embarrassing.

"You're hungry." Sasuke noted, only embarrassing her further.

"Sorry," Sakura forced a laugh, she really felt like crying.

"No, I'm sorry." Sasuke poked her on the forehead, a little more forceful than he usually did. He'd rolled his eyes at her too, but she'd missed it when she closed her eyes due to the poke.

Sasuke sat down on the branch, leaning against the tree as he did. He pulled out two apples from his backpack and handed one to Sakura. She took it happily and sat down next to him. Though she had excellent balance and it was no problem sitting on the branch, she felt so secure when Sasuke wrapped his arm around her and pulled her back against his front. She relaxed against him, glancing back over her shoulder to see the apple in his mouth.

She giggled and Sasuke released her to grab the apple, taking the bite fully before pulling it away from his mouth. Sakura thought he had a sinfully beautiful mouth. She just wanted to kiss him again and again. She shivered just thinking about it and she was close enough to Sasuke for him to notice. He chose not to comment on it though, fearful of what she may say and how he might react to it.

They ate the remainder of their apples in silence, enjoying being together as they did. After the apples, they drank some water and rested for another thirty minutes before getting on the go again. Sakura assumed there would be a lot of this, just the two of them, running. She was okay with that, it was exhilarating, traveling like this with Sasuke. She was still loving every minute of it.

/

It was already getting dark before they stopped for the night. They set up the tent together and then sat around a fire while they ate a small dinner. They needed to stock back up soon and it would be nice to get a full meal from somewhere as well. Sakura was already feeling sleepy as she finished heating up the broth. She handed one steaming cup to Sasuke and fixed one for herself. There was enough for them to have seconds but Sakura new that one cup, with a small piece of bread would be enough to fill her. She was more ready to sleep than anything.

Sasuke was full after only one cup as well and as soon as they'd cleaned their mess and put out the fire, they got into the tent together. It was nice that they agreed on what they wanted to do most of the time and without having to say anything to each other. Sakura wished she could have a shower and then everything really would be perfect.

"Goodnight," Sasuke murmured, then pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head. She smiled and held onto him even tighter.

"Goodnight Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke laid there, listening to her breathe and after only a few short minutes, her breathing evened out, signaling she was asleep. It bothered him that she was so tired, he didn't want her pushing herself and not telling him. She could run her body down quickly after just being so sick. This would probably be a fear of his for some time to come and he knew that from now on he'd have to be sure and ask her if she needed to rest.

It would be at least another day before they made it to another village, possibly two. They could use a place to stay for a few days, collect themselves, spend some time together. Sasuke was glad Sakura didn't bring up the mission often because most of the time, he forgot they even had one. There was only one mission on his mind.

Getting to know Sakura.

/

The next morning, Sakura awoke alone in the tent. She stretched as she glanced around the small tent as if Sasuke was there somewhere but she found him outside, lounging in a tree. She jumped up there to join him, startling him as she did so. He'd been lost in thought, eyes closed, he hadn't even heard her moving and she was on the branch and leaning into him before he realized she was even there.

She hugged him tightly, giving him a bright smile when she pulled back. "Good morning, Sasuke-kun."

"Good morning." He smirked, wrapping his arm around her in return. He didn't pull her in for another hug, but he rested his hand there on the small of her back.

"I must have been tired, to sleep so long huh?" She giggled, seeming to be in a fantastic mood. She always seemed happy but today even more-so.

"You shouldn't let yourself get too tired. We can stop anytime, okay?"

Sakura nodded, she knew this but she liked to keep moving as long as they had daylight, she didn't want to hold Sasuke back. "Are you hungry?"

"Yes. It's going to storm soon. I found a cave nearby, I think we should head that way and take shelter first. We might be stuck for the day. If it was just rain I'd say we could tough it out, but it looks like it's going to get pretty ugly."

"Oh, okay."

They took their belongings and made their way to the cave Sasuke had found. It was a large cave that was very open, so open they were able to have a fire inside, the tent set up and room to sit without being too close to either. It wasn't cold, so there was no need to huddle together but still, Sakura sat close to Sasuke. She rested her head against his shoulder, barely aware of the rain just beginning to fall. She felt good. In the strangest way, even in the gloomy cave Sakura felt at home.

It was Sasuke though, he was _home_ to her.

…

"Sasuke-kun…?"

"Hm?"

Sakura turned her head to look at him. They now lay in the tent beside each other. They hoped that they could sleep through the storm and be well rested enough to get to the next village. Though neither of them were minding their travels, both of them could have gone for a shower. A bed would only be a plus.

"Do you think… Maybe we can always be like this?" Sakura asked, her voice a quiet whisper.

Her words went straight to the Uchiha's heart because in them, he could hear how happy and content she was with everything just as it was. The dream she'd reached for, for all this time was finally in her grasp. Sasuke was that dream and now, she was his dream as well. He reached over and laid his hand over hers as it rested on her ribcage.

"I don't know." Sasuke answered honestly, his words coming out equally as quiet as hers had. "Maybe." He added, feeling just as hopeful as she was.

Sakura understood. It didn't matter how hard they tried to be all they needed to be for each other, things could happen. Sasuke could have to leave again, leave her. When she thought about it, it hurt, but at the same time she felt as long as she had Sasuke's love, she could survive. She only hoped nothing would ever separate them again.

"We will always be us though." Sasuke told her and she felt a reassurance fill her very soul. Her eyes stung, but she refused to cry. She rolled over, laying halfway on top of him and burying her face against his neck.

"I love you, Sasuke-kun. So much."

Though her words were muffled, Sasuke heard them loud and clear and he smiled because of them. "Hn. I love you too Sakura."

/

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed the chapter.**

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 **Next chapter is in the making but *The Bridge Between Time* is my next update. I'm editing now so I plan to have it out today!**


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX

* * *

 **It Was Life**

 _Insecurities_

* * *

The next village they came upon was another two-week's worth of traveling away. It was a place they'd both been before, though it had been a long time. They walked across the great Naruto bridge feeling nostalgic. The memory of that day was still at the forefronts of their minds. Sakura remembered easily how she'd felt, thinking she'd lost Sasuke and Sasuke remembered how difficult that battle had been and also how much he'd grown during it. Including the awakening of his sharingan.

Sakura took a hold of Sasuke's empty sleeve as they continued across the bridge, her heart ached just from the memories alone. She was so thankful she'd trained over the years and became as strong as she had. Back then she could do nothing to help her comrades and it had been hard on her. There was a time when she didn't think she had anything going for her other than her brains and chakra control but that had ended up leading her to having the strength she possessed today.

The Uchiha understood what she was feeling because he felt the same way about himself back then. Of course he was special and he'd had more than a few tricks up his sleeve, even back then- but he was nowhere near as strong as he now was. Back then, even being a shinobi he hadn't anticipated all the opponents he would come across. He may have always strived to get stronger, and even fell into the darkness to get where he was but he never expected to become the man he was today. Naruto was another story, but everybody knew that.

A signature smirk sneaking across his lips, Sasuke closed his eyes for a moment. They were just making it up to the village and he couldn't help but be thankful for things turning out like they had. He couldn't have regrets. His nightmare's needed to be a thing of the past, just as the past was. He was glad it was all over and he was moving on with his life and he knew that Itachi would be proud of him… He always was, even when he shouldn't have been. Though, that was because he loved Sasuke so much.

Sasuke understood that love now, because he had that love for Sakura and his best friend Naruto as well. He remembered the first time he'd witnessed Sakura's strength back in the war and how felt even then, before he'd actually woken up. He was proud of her, because she had done what she needed to do to gain her strength. He always knew she could be someone and that's why he used to get so annoyed by her when they were younger. He'd noticed her then, and he never thought of her as a fangirl like the others. Sakura had always been special, but he had more important things on his mind back then and in the end, he'd chosen those things over his friends… The only family he'd had left.

But it never mattered how far he went, how long he was gone. They never stopped caring about him. They never gave up trying to find him to save him from revenge, or rather from himself because he was the one with the problem. He was so hurt, so damaged mentally and emotionally that he thought he could never be saved, but he had been.

It had been by the grace of Kami that he was able to live and atone for his sins instead of being killed for them. He had done some good but no matter what anyone said, he knew it didn't come close to comparing with the bad he'd done. He'd been a criminal for years and he'd never minded it, in fact he'd owned it. But the longer he was a criminal and living the life of a rogue, the worse things had gotten for him.

So many lies. So much confusion. He'd hated everyone and there was a point when he wished to die so it would all be over. He'd almost died many times, he'd been far too reckless over the years, not giving a damn about anyone or even himself. He didn't care what anyone thought of him because the Uchiha's name was already tainted.

Now things were different. He could restore his clan's name by being the man he should be and maybe one day, he'd have his own children who could help with that. They would be raised right, with love and affection and he would always let them know he was proud of them. They would be good kids, they'd love hard because that's how the Uchiha were but he'd do everything within his power to keep them from turning to hate.

Thinking about kids had him glancing at Sakura just as she was greeting some of the villagers. They knew her well, as they did Sasuke but they seemed pleased to have them there. Sasuke wondered if Sakura would be the mother of his children, if they would one day be able to move their relationship to that level. He'd only just been able to admit his true feelings to her so he didn't know how long it would take but he knew, if he was lucky enough to have that reality, his children would be even more loved than he hoped. Because Sakura was a lover. She was a fighter, Kami was she a fighter. But she was a lover first.

"Sasuke you hear that, they've got a room at the inn they're willing to let us stay in for free!"

Sakura shaking his arm and nearly shouting at him brought him out from his happy thoughts of the future. He nodded quickly, not wanting to be rude and give away the fact that he hadn't been paying attention.

"That's very nice of them."

"Yes so let's get going. I really need a shower."

Sasuke nodded, following close behind her as she hurried along, pulling him by his empty sleeve. It seemed like she was becoming used to holding onto it and Sasuke had grown fond of her doing so. He felt less empty there when her hand was there, in place of his arm. He wouldn't deny he missed it and he had thought about the prosthetic more than a few times but it just never seemed right. He'd lost the arm because of his own actions and he'd deserved it, he had to live with that fact forever and though he had no trouble these days living with only the one arm, it would still be nice to have two.

Before he knew it, Sakura had him inside the lone inn of the village and in the room they'd be sharing. He knew she'd been dying for a place indoors to sleep for several days. She'd mentioned a shower a few times and even though they'd bathe in the river when the opportunity arose, it just wasn't the same. She dropped her backpack and gear on the floor and groaned as she stretched. Sasuke added his stuff to the floor next to hers, though much more gently and then regarded her with amused eyes. He knew he must be happy about getting a shower and having a bed to sleep in.

"Don't give me that look." She pouted. "I love traveling but I'm just not as used to it as you are." At least, not for such long periods of time.

"I wasn't giving you any look." Sasuke insisted, pulling his cloak off and laying it across one of the chairs at the small table in the room.

"Would you like to shower first?" The girl asked considerately and Sasuke had to refrain from glaring at her, though his eyes still narrowed on her slightly.

"Absolutely not." He answered, a little more harshly than necessary he realized before adding, "You shower first and take your time. I need to report and check my gear."

Sakura nodded, understanding what he was trying to do. He knew how much she'd been looking forward to a shower and so she wasn't going to argue with him or question him. She grabbed a clean change of clothes and made her way into the bathroom without another word.

The shower was heavenly. The warm water was refreshing enough for her to get lost in it. She washed several times, even shampooing a few times to make sure she was completely dirt and dust free and when she was finally out of the shower, she felt like a new woman. She dried quickly, knowing she'd taken quite some time with her shower and then hurried to dress, though in only a pair of leggings and a soft and long tank top.

It was her most comfortable outfit and she felt like she deserved a day of relaxing in comfort after the last few weeks of travel. Sleeping on the ground wasn't bad when she had Sasuke to hug up to, but after weeks she was so looking forward to laying in a bed that it was the only thought in her mind as she left the bathroom.

Sasuke stood with his back to her, naked from the waist up, he stood before her in nothing but his shinobi pants. His belt, shoes and shirt were all discarded in a neat pile behind him but Sakura didn't notice that, all she noticed was how beautiful he was standing there like that. She swallowed hard but surprisingly she didn't blush, even though she made no move to look away.

Sasuke glanced back at her, a knowing look in his eyes. He turned to her completely then, his lips pulling back in a smirk as he went to take the few steps towards her it would take to close the distance between them. Sakura looked anywhere but his naked chest, meeting his eyes after a couple seconds and regretting it almost instantly.

"You look better." He teased, now so close she could smell him with ease. He hadn't showered, but even his natural earthy smell was sweet to her. "I've already sent out the report and everything. I'm going to shower."

Unable to respond, Sakura nodded quickly before stepping timidly aside so he could walk by her. He did so, smiling to himself as he made it past her and into the bathroom. Just as he closed the door he noticed she hadn't budged from the spot she stood in and for some reason, it amused him even more-so.

Sakura went straight to the bed when she recovered herself which was just after she heard the shower start. She laid down, burying herself under the covers and moaned aloud because it felt so nice. She was annoyed with herself for being so attracted to Sasuke but she supposed that would never change. She'd always felt the same way but sometimes, her girlish instinct really took over.

She had a feeling that Sasuke knew exactly what he was doing, anytime he affected her. It was almost as if he would try to put her in those situations, where she would end up a blushing mess but she was getting a little better at containing herself, though not always. Anytime he ended up half naked in front of her, rather it be like it just had, or he be coming in from the river; she became anxious and giddy. He seemed to be getting more and more comfortable around her with each passing day, but the more comfortable he became, the more uneasy she felt.

There was a part of her- a pretty scary one, that wanted to jump his bones every time he did her like that but the majority of her new better and either way, she would never do such a thing. No matter how intriguing it may seem. He didn't take nearly as long as she had, he was out of the shower in less than twenty minutes and back in the open room with her.

She didn't dare turn to look at him, knowing full well he hadn't taken any clothes in the bathroom with him. After a couple minutes of him fiddling around he got in bed next to her, but he made no move to lay down. Though she hesitated slightly, Sakura turned over to face him.

"Feel better?" She asked him, a shy smile on her face.

"Hn." Sasuke stretched next to her, having not put a shirt on she was able to see every muscle in his body flex with the movement. She hoped one day she would get used to it.

"It's good that there's some help we can do in the village while we're here, so we should be able to stay for a while."

Sasuke only nodded, having missed her earlier conversation with the locals, he had no idea what she was talking about but he didn't want to let her in on that. She watched him as he ran his fingers through his hair, shaking it loose from his head in its dampened state.

"How about the mission? Do you think it will put us off much if we help out here for a while?"

That had him flinching. "I don't think it will be a problem. I let Kakashi know that we were going to take a while to rest anyway."

"Oh, that's good." Sakura sighed happily, reaching out and laying her hand over his that now rested on the bed beside her. "I'm sure it won't take too long anyway."

"Are you hungry?" Sasuke asked thoughtfully, more wanting to change the subject than anything.

"A nap sounds more appealing than food right now… But if you're hungry I can fix you something, or we can go out."

Sasuke shook his head. "No, I was just curious. A nap sounds good to me."

He laid down next to her, smelling delicious after his shower and Sakura didn't hesitate to lay against him, she on her side and Sasuke on his back. It was her favorite way to sleep and Sasuke found that he was comfortable like that, as long as he could wrap his arm around her. Neither of them said another word as they laid there, wrapped up in each other. It felt so nice being in a bed together that it wasn't long before the both of them found sleep.

…

/

…

They didn't wake up until late that night and even then, Sakura had surprisingly been the first to get up. She was hungry, so knowing Sasuke would be as well she went over to their bags and rummaged through them to get what little food they had left. She'd thought they'd had a little more than what she found, more soup but all she found were rations.

This upset her because she'd been hoping to have him something to eat when he woke up and judging by the time of night it was, their only hope of food would be a bar and grill but she wasn't even sure if this village had one. Annoyed that she wasn't coming up with any food, she searched the bags again desperately willing something to show up but what she found was a letter from the Hokage. She recognized Kakashi's scribblings well enough and realizing it must have been their most recent letter, she read it.

She didn't think nothing of it as she began to read the letter. There were no thoughts of any trouble coming from reading the letter. She and Sasuke were on this mission together and though she hadn't been the one keeping up with the hidden leaf, she had just as much right to the letters as Sasuke would, so she didn't hesitate in reading it.

At first the letter confused her but the more she read, the more emotion she felt. After reading it a few times, she was not only taken aback but also furious and downright embarrassed. Kakashi spoke of their mission as nothing. She knew it wasn't a mission that needed to be completed instantly but she had no idea it held no significance whatsoever. He even joked about her and Sasuke being off alone together and Sakura found herself outraged because of it.

It was true at one time, she wouldn't have given it a second thought. Her dream come true of being with Sasuke, no matter how it happened. Traveling with him over a seemingly infinite timespan, she couldn't have asked for anything more. But for her to be forced into a meaningless mission, and Sasuke as well- it just tore her to pieces.

She thought all along that they'd been given this mission and it afforded them some time to get closer, but instead they'd been forced into this fake mission just to get them alone together. She felt absolutely pathetic. Did everyone really think so little of her and her love for Sasuke- to think that she needed this push from them? She was so ashamed that she burst into tears, unable to handle it anymore. She didn't even want to face Sasuke because she didn't understand. If he knew about this, how was he okay with it? She even wondered if he truly cared about her at all, or if he was just doing what everyone wanted him to do.

Changing her clothes quickly and silently, she grabbed her small change purse out of her bag and left the room without a single glance back at Sasuke. She loved him with all her heart, always had and she always would; but she just didn't feel right about this. She had to get away, at least for a little while.

…

The sad and seemingly lost girl found her way to the only bar in town, it was open and thankfully served food as well. She had been starving and although she'd lost most of her appetite from her gloomy mood, she would eat a little something anyway because her body needed it. Thought it wasn't much, she'd lost a few pounds since their journey began and to stay fit like she needed to be, she had to eat when she could. She could need her strength at any time and going without food made you weaker.

The booths were private and she took one far in the back. A hostess who was about her age showed her to the table, agreeing to her request to have as much privacy as possible. Sakura thanked her as she took a seat and ordered a drink and the special they were serving. She couldn't believe it was ramen of all things. They had a variety and she could have ordered something else but she just didn't care at that moment. She'd eat anything just to get it over with so she could drink and drown in her sorrows, much like her own mentor did.

The ramen was good enough to pick up her appetite a little, but it wasn't Ichiraku's. Still, she managed to finish all of it before starting on her liquor. She was skipping the sake altogether, she wasn't rather fond of it anyway. Pouting in her depressed state, she lazily filled her shot-glass before taking the drink and then another right after. The liquor burned her throat but she quite liked the feeling.

She was only a handful of drinks in- or so she thought, when she got a little giggly; most of her worries forgotten and what wasn't forgotten, she laughed at. The nerve of Kakashi, and probably even Naruto. For all she knew it could have been the entire village. She was probably being laughed at, at that very moment for she figured she may as well laugh at herself too.

In fact, she laughed so hard that she cried and even ran out of breath. She was just calming down a bit when she finished the bottle, the too-small shot-glass long since forgotten.

"What's so funny?" A male voice caught her attention, being that it was so close. She scorned herself for not realizing someone had walked up to her so easily and unnoticed.

She leaned her head back to gaze up at the man, trying to see if she knew him and when she realized she didn't she tried to figure out if he was a ninja of just civilian. It was a civilian village but many ninja traveled through so he could have been either. She didn't really like dealing with people when she was intoxicated and she was enjoying the numbness enough to keep from cleansing her system.

"You sure seemed to be having a good time, I figured I couldn't just leave a lady alone."

Chewing her bottom lip thoughtfully, Sakura looked over the man but from his body type alone she couldn't tell if he was civilian or not. He appeared to be a few years older than her, having long dark hair and big blue eyes. They were much lighter than Naruto's. He seemed safe enough but then Sakura didn't want to go and get the guy killed and she knew Sasuke would be coming for her, eventually. She was surprised he hadn't yet, but glad because she wasn't ready to face him. He'd be mad when he did come for her, and she didn't want him taking it out on some poor unsuspecting guy.

"I'm sorry, I'd like to be alone right now…" Sakura gave him a forced smile that was a sad excuse for a smile. "And I'm waiting on someone."

It wasn't a lie, because she wasn't leaving anytime soon and she hadn't bothered hiding her chakra signature so it was only a matter of time before Sasuke found her. The man looked disappointed, which is exactly what Sakura was when he made no move to go on about his business. He should have, immediately.

"It's not polite to keep such a beautiful and talented woman waiting… Is it?"

Sakura's stomach fluttered- and not in a good way. "Talented?"

He smiled at her, flashing perfect white teeth at her. "I know who you are. Who doesn't?"

Sakura blushed. She didn't think of herself as such a big deal and it was weird having people who though highly of her come across her every once in a while. This guy though, didn't feel like one of those people. He was after one thing, a thing that he wouldn't even be getting in his dreams.

"At least let me buy you a drink?" He suggested, obviously embarrassed that he'd been standing there for so long without being invited to sit with her, and having already been politely refused.

"No thanks. I like to buy them myself." She giggled, looking past the guy to wave over the waitress.

"Alright," The guy sighed, finally taking the hint. "But my offer still stands."

Sakura rolled her eyes to herself as the man finally left and the waitress came over with a freshly filled bottle. The liquor was good and though she was drinking a little more than she was used to, she was happy to be forgetting about her worries and having a little time away from Sasuke to try and collect herself. She was failing miserably.

While she drank, all she was doing was ignoring all the insecurities she was feeling. She was in no way ready to face Sasuke. No, she was definitely not drunk enough for that. She shook her head to herself as she filled the shot-glass and took the drink. If she had to face him now she'd probably just burst into tears and run away.

That wasn't something she wanted to do. She didn't know what she wanted to do anymore, but she was embarrassed and afraid. It hurt almost enough for her to run back to the village immediately but then, she didn't want to be anywhere near that village either, not when everyone thought so lowly of her. She could have never anticipated things turning out like this.

…

It didn't seem like long at all before Sakura had finished off four bottles and she was feeling right. She was intoxicated enough that she had to stop for a bit and pace herself to keep from getting sick. At least she knew her limits. She felt a little wobbly, even from her seat and she wasn't even thinking about Sasuke anymore. She wasn't thinking about anything.

A loud slam was what finally stirred her from her lost moment and she shakily leaned to the side to glance around the booth to see what was going on, the sound seeming to come from the front doors. Her heart fell to her stomach when she saw him. The entire bar had grown quiet, even the music had ceased. Sasuke looked like an angel of death as he stood there, just in the entrance. He was fully dressed in his traveling clothes, cloak and all. He looked so dark and intimidating, and even tempting- or at least Sakura thought so.

He was pissed. Looking around in his annoyance, Sasuke's eyes were enough to have every person in the bar cowering back and avoiding his presence altogether. Sakura was still leaned around her booth, watching him when he finally spotted her. With a deep calming breath, the Uchiha turned on his heel and headed for her. The entire place was still of any movement as he made his way over to her and was surprised at how confidently she met his gaze being that his doujutsu was active.

Just as he stopped at her table, glaring down at her in his fury, Sakura hiccupped.

Sasuke could tell easily that she was intoxicated, from the way her eyes were lidded, to the flush look in her cheeks. She breathed steadily through her lips as she gazed up at him, totally mesmerized and having forgotten she was ever avoiding him to start with.

"Come," He said, offering her his hand. "We're leaving."

"Don't be silly!" Sakura scolded him, grabbing his offered hand only to pull him down into the seat with her.

"You're drunk." Sasuke hissed quietly, his narrowed eyes merely an inch from hers. She looked into the endless pools of red and purple with admiration. She'd always been interested in his sharingan but the rinnegan was new to her and it wasn't often that she got to look into them both so freely.

"Yeah." She agreed with a sigh, feeling as if she was good for another drink by now.

"Do you have any idea how worried I was when I woke up to find you gone?" He was still angry, so angry his hand was trembling at his side. He'd tried to remain calm, and even thinking that she'd just gone out for a walk or something, he'd sat around waiting for her to return until he'd nearly gone mad and just had to search for her. To find her in a bar alone and drunk only made him more anxious.

"I figured you would… I had to get away for a bit." She explained honestly though her words were slightly slurred. She frowned deeply when his sharingan disappeared, leaving only his rinnegan in place and his lone onyx eye that seemed to be able to take her back to many years before.

"I don't under-"

Sakura leaned over him, affectively cutting him off with the way her body pressed against his. She called for the waitress and waved enthusiastically, after getting the girl's attention she leaned back but remained close to Sasuke, her lips right next to his ear.

"I know you're hungry. The food isn't bad, so relax."

Sasuke couldn't relax with Sakura constantly leaning all over him and whispering in his ear. He was still as a board by the time the waitress did show up, bringing with her another bottle of liquor for Sakura.

"What do you want, Sa-su-ke?" Sakura asked lowly, her lips still dangerously close to his ear.

"Anything." His clipped response was enough to make Sakura grin.

"Just bring him the special." Sakura told the girl who nodded before leaving quickly.

Sasuke didn't move. He glanced around the room pensively, his jaw tensed. He looked some kind of sexy to Sakura and she sighed loudly as she admired him from his side, still so close she was leaning against him. He looked over at her curiously, but the second he met her eyes again she turned her attention to the liquor on the table and poured herself another shot.

"Aren't you going to tell me what happened?"

"No." Sakura answered quickly. "Not yet."

Sasuke scoffed at that, turning his eyes away from her in his annoyance. Before he could think much about it the waitress had returned with his food. It was ramen and he was so hungry that the second the smell filled his nostrils, his stomach rumbled.

"Some water as well, please." Sakura told the waitress before she'd had a chance to leave, which she did then with a quick nod.

Sasuke wasn't sure what to say to Sakura because he wasn't sure exactly what had happened. It wasn't like her to leave him and so he knew something was going on with her for her to have left while he was sleeping, especially since she hadn't seemed to be in any hurry to return to him. He was confused and all too curious as he dug into the ramen. It wasn't the best he had, but it was much better than instant ramen and he was hungry enough to not care either way. He'd finished the whole bowl by the time the waitress returned with a pitcher of water and a glass for him.

Sasuke poured his own glass after waving the waitress off and Sakura took another drink of her own. "Shouldn't we be leaving?" Sasuke asked impatiently after drinking a full glass of iced water. It was cool and refreshing but it did nothing to lighten his mood.

"You should have a drink with me. Why not? It's not like we have some important mission to be doing."

"What?" Sasuke gaped at her, completely taken aback and confused by her words.

Sakura rolled her eyes with a laugh. "I know that this so-called mission of ours is nothing but a sick joke."

"Sakura-" Sasuke began cautiously.

"Oh, don't bother. It's no big deal. I see just how sad and lonely everyone thinks I am. I'd say I'm not a fool but, I suppose I actually am."

"Sakura…"

"I can only imagine what everyone truly thinks of me… And us."

Us. The word bothered Sakura after she'd said it. It didn't feel right because now, everything with Sasuke felt forced to her. It didn't feel real like it had before and she just didn't know what to think about it. She didn't want to ruin what they had but she wasn't sure if the truly had anything at all. She took another drink, trying to numb the pain that was returning so effortlessly but the alcohol didn't have an instant effect.

"Let's get out of here. We should talk. Privately."

Sakura wasn't happy about leaving with him at that moment but she supposed it was for the best being that they did have so many onlookers. She took a few swallows straight out of the bottle before leaving enough money on the table to settle their bill and leave a wealthy tip for the waitress. Sasuke was quick to get up when he realized she was agreeing and together they left the bar quietly.

Taking her hand the instant they were outside, Sasuke made quick work of getting them back to the inn and inside their room. Sakura had struggled to keep up with him without falling over but she still wasn't willing to lose her buzz. She stumbled against him as she struggled out of her shoes, clinging onto him tightly to keep herself from falling.

"Does it really bother you that much?" Sasuke asked, sounding somewhat disappointed. "Being here with me on a fluke mission?"

Sakura frowned. "What bothers me is that fact that Kakashi thought he had to do this, just to get you to open up to me. Like I couldn't have managed on my own. And here you are, forced to go along with something so ridiculous."

"Sakura, listen to me." Sasuke was towering over her in an instant, his lone hand cupping her cheek. He was so close that his forehead rested against hers and she held her breath. "It was stupid on Kakashi's part but they were only trying to help and not by forcing either of us to do anything, but by giving us the opportunity to be together- and alone, for as long as we want."

Sakura blushed at that. She hadn't thought about it that way, or felt as if that's something Sasuke would be okay with, something he wanted.

"Do you think that if I didn't want to be here, that I would be?"

Sakura knew that he wouldn't. Sasuke was a man who had always done as he wished and though he did follow orders from the village now, he wouldn't play along with some insignificant mission just to please everyone. He'd do it to please only himself.

"I agreed to this because it felt right." He admitted, his thumb finding its way to her bottom lip, much like it always did. "I thought it would be nice for it to be just us. No Konoha, no annoying friends. Just me and you."

"R-really?" Sakura sniffled, blinking rapidly as she stared up at them.

"Really. The mission might be worthless but the opportunity is priceless. Don't you agree?"

Slowly, she nodded her agreement. She was happy that Sasuke felt that way and he truly was enjoying the time he was spending with her. She realized that she'd overreacted and now she felt bad because of it.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I'm the one who should be apologizing. I never wanted you to feel like this and that's why I chose not to tell you. I didn't want you feeling forced into anything, but I'm sure you must want to return to the village now."

"No I don't." Sakura argued, burying her face in his chest and wrapping her arms tightly around him. "I don't want to go anywhere near the hidden leaf right now!"

With a sigh and a soft smile, Sasuke wrapped his arm around her in return. "Okay, but don't be so upset. The mission isn't important."

He was right. The mission was now non-existent but there were many other things that were important that Sakura knew she had to face head on. Like her feelings. She loved Sasuke even more now than she ever had, though she had always truly loved him. If he didn't want to waste this opportunity then neither would she. If he was content just being away with her then so was she, she couldn't have asked for anything better. As she held tight to him she knew that this was okay with her, as long as it was okay with him. They both wanted the same things, even if they hadn't fully admitted it to each other.

…

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Hope you enjoyed the chapter...**


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

* * *

 **It Was Life**

 _Those eyes_

* * *

The following day started out lazily for Sakura. She'd woken up alone in her shared room with Sasuke and after noticing he wasn't there, she sighed to herself and continued to lay in bed. Her mind was on the previous night, thinking over the 'mission' and Sasuke's words. She wasn't sure what it all meant really, other than the fact that they had a chance to grow closer, spend some long overdue time with one another and just enjoy each other's company as they traveled alone together.

When she really thought about it, she was thrilled. Even if the mission wasn't real, even if she didn't like the way it had come about- she was so glad to have this time with Sasuke. He'd changed a lot, though he was still himself- just gentler, more considerate and there was always a sincerity about him that made her swoon.

Though he had many ways of making her swoon anyway.

Sakura rolled onto her side as she thought about him, wondering idly where he must have gone. More than likely he just stepped out to buy a few things while she slept. They were in definite need of supplies before they could travel again, and food was a necessity.

While he was gone she had a little too much time to mull over how guilty she felt for her reaction the night before. It seemed like even though she tried not to be, she was still annoying and Sasuke was probably ready to ship her back to Konoha. She hoped not though, she didn't want to ruin what this time with him could become.

After laying around in bed for another half hour, she got up and dragged her way into the bathroom for a bath. While she took her time bathing, her thoughts turned to the villagers. The Land of Waves had come a long way since she'd last visited, but they were still growing- building, and she was glad to be able to help them in any way she could.

When she was clean and dressed, and Sasuke still hadn't returned, she decided it best if she find herself something to do. Leaving the inn, she made her way to the village center where a few villagers working on a small shop stopped her to speak.

It was during her conversation with them that she found out their hospital was far understaffed, and the flu had gone around, leaving many people- and many children deathly sick. There had already been several casualties because there wasn't enough help to tend to all the patients there.

Though the original help she'd agreed to give the village was just minor work around the village, Sakura volunteered herself to help out at the hospital as soon as she heard they were in need, because that's just what she was best at. She'd never ignore a hurt, or sick person in need- especially not a child.

Being as caught up as she was in getting to the hospital, she didn't even think about Sasuke again, or worry about him not knowing where she was. The situation she found the hospital to be in when she arrived, was even far more dire than she could have anticipated.

…

Sasuke had left in the early morning, taking a walk to stretch his legs and enjoy the outside before he'd stop and pick up some things to take back to their room. Sakura was sleeping so hard, he just couldn't wake her, but he'd planned on being back before she woke anyway- At least until he was stopped by several civilians who were busy constructing a new restaurant.

When they asked for his help, he gave it to them without question. Sakura had already agreed for both of them to help around the village anyway, so he couldn't just deny them, and he was sure Sakura wouldn't mind him being away for a bit. He figured she'd end up finding something to do as well.

Sasuke was a big help with the work, having more energy than those civilian workers. He was far from a carpenter, but he'd spent a fair amount of his time doing odd jobs over the course of his redemption journey. He'd learned many things, and a little construction work was nothing to him. By lunch time, with him helping, they'd made great progress.

The other workers stopped for lunch, so Sasuke went to have some as well. He'd missed out on breakfast, so by then he was past ready for food. He'd stopped and bought a few rice cakes at a nearby vendor and he sat on a bench in town to eat before he'd return to the construction site. While he ate, he couldn't help overhearing some passerby's conversation.

"Did you hear, Sakura-san took it upon herself to help out at the hospital. In just a matter of minutes they say she had the whole place in order."

"Really? That's great news. With a skilled medic like her helping out, I'm sure the flu epidemic will be old news in no time."

"You're right. She's a genius, she's already come up with medicine to fight off the sickness and is personally seeing to each patient herself."

That was all Sasuke was able to hear as the two women walked by, disappearing once they made a turn a few meters away. So, Sakura had found her something to do. As he pictured her working the hospital in his mind, his lips tugged at the corners and Sasuke found himself on the verge of real genuine laughter.

He wasn't sure what it was that Sakura did to him these days, but there was a part of him that wished he felt like so long ago.

It wasn't that he was only just able to acknowledge her, because Sasuke had always acknowledged Sakura. He'd always know that she had considerable ability. With the right training, she was bound to become a kunoichi everyone would remember and as he finished the last of his rice cake, he found himself wondering all that she had done back during his rogue years. One done, he stood and started walking towards the construction site, deciding to himself that it would be nice to know- and see, for himself.

…

It wasn't easy, but after several hours, Sakura had managed to see to every last patient. There was no immediate fix for the people, but with a quick exam of each and the right medication, they'd all be on the fast track to healthier days.

The staff appreciated her guidance, and she'd happily given it to them. They were unorganized, over-worked, and frustrated. But, a few calming words and stern directions was enough to help get the place in order.

Sakura was glad. It seemed like it had been forever since she'd had the chance to work in the hospital, and caring for the sick and wounded was her specialty. It was something that made her happy, and that's why she was so good at her work.

Even after she'd done all she could for the day, she went to the small lab in the hospital to prepare extra medicines, and even a variety of sorts. She spent several more hours doing so, and even then, she made it a point to help with the endless stacks of paperwork that was way left behind. That was when one of the nurses explained that their Doctor in charge had recently lost his wife due to an incurable illness and then he moved away, leaving the entire hospital in a mess.

No matter what, Sakura would do all she could to help those people.

"Um, Sakura-san…"

Sakura looked up from the filing cabinet she stood before, turning to the young nurse that called her. "Yes?"

The girl fidgeted, looking highly nervous and flustered. "Um, you have a visitor."

"Oh." Sakura sighed, a smile twisting her lips. She filed the folder before closing the drawer and making her way towards the nurse. "That's probably my cue to call it a night."

She had no idea how late it was, or how long she'd been at the hospital. But, she was sure it had been longer than she assumed if Sasuke had come for her. As soon as she stepped out of the cluttered office, she saw him. He was resting against the wall across the hall, eyes closed until she came next to him. His eyes opened then and met hers, unwavering.

It took everything she had not to blush and nearly faint at the smoldering look in his eyes. If one look from him was enough to have her heart racing, and her skin tingling, she wasn't sure how she'd ever handle anything more from him.

After a long, drawn-out moment of them staring back at each other, Sasuke turned to leave without a word- and Sakura followed him knowingly. He didn't need to say anything, she already knew he'd come for her.

They walked along in the cool air of night. It was late, the whole village seeming to be sleeping. Sakura walked close behind Sasuke, wondering what he'd been doing all day without her. He looked ready for bed, but instead of leading her to the inn they were currently residing, they ended up at the same place as the night before.

Finding herself embarrassed about what happened, Sakura was blushing slightly as they found a booth to sit in. She was starving, so it was a good idea on his part to come where they could get something to eat. When the waitress arrived and Sakura ordered herself something, but Sasuke went for a drink of Sake instead, she found herself growing more shy by the minute.

"What's the matter?" He asked as he poured himself a tad into the small glass they provided.

"Um, nothing. Nothing at all."

His brow perked up but he said nothing more as he took a drink. He seemed to be in a good mood and Sakura found that somewhat calming. After a moment, she relaxed a bit as well. It wasn't long before her food arrived, and she and Sasuke weren't talking at all. The silence was comforting though, as it always was and Sakura was hungry enough to forget about everything else aside from the food before her, until it was all gone at least.

By then Sasuke was on his second bottle, leaned back in the booth, eyes solely on her. If he was going to keep looking at her in such a way, she felt she'd better have a drink of her own- and so she ordered one. After that they drank together silently for a while. Sakura had never been around Sasuke with him drinking, and she wondered to herself if he'd be any different intoxicated. By the time she was just starting to feel a little tipsy, she knew Sasuke had to be feeling a rush of all the alcohol he's already consumed.

There was something about the way he never stopped gazing at her, that had her squirming in her seat. Though only one of his eyes were visible to her, it was all he needed to make her all too aware of herself. What was it that he thought as he stared at her so? Did he have any idea how drastic a turn her thoughts would take when he looked so… appealing?

Kami, he was always just too much for her heart. But, when he was looking at her like she was the only person in the world, like his mind was taking drastic turns as well, she wanted nothing more than to act on all the provocative fantasies she had. She was a woman, she had needs as strong as any, but acting on those needs just wasn't something she was capable of doing.

But, she wondered if she should. If Sasuke would ever be able to make the first move between them. She was also busy scolding herself for even thinking of such things. There was no rush, she was happy with things as they were and she didn't want to risk ruining what they already had… Still though, she couldn't help feeling that it wouldn't hurt either of them to enjoy a little intimacy.

And she knew that as long as it was Sasuke, she would never regret it anyway.

"Let's get out of here." He said suddenly, taking and immediate stand after an intense several moments of meeting her gaze.

"O-okay." Sakura finished her drink quickly and hurried after him. Once they stepped outside, she took a hold of his sleeve.

They were still sticking to silence as they walked along slowly, taking their time even though they were both quite ready to get in bed for the night. Sasuke was ready for bed long before he even gave in and went for her, figuring she had lost track of time and wouldn't come dragging in until the next morning. He couldn't let her do that, so he'd decided to bring her home, and of course she would have to eat first. She didn't need to admit it for Sasuke to know that she'd been skipping meals the entire day.

Both of them were lost in their own thoughts as they made their way through the town in the dead of night. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, at least until an eerie presence was felt nearby. They stopped walking, looking towards the direction they knew someone was coming from. Sakura's grip tightened on Sasuke's sleeve as the person appeared before them, and she knew instantly that the meeting wouldn't be friendly.

There was a hostile aura emitting from the black-clad shinobi. He's wide and chilling grin was impossible to miss as he looked to them and after a moment, started laughing hysterically. Sakura's brows pulled together as she wondered who he could be, or what he was after. Sasuke seemed unfazed, or at most- a little bored and uninterested.

"Uchiha Sasuke." The man barked, spitting as he spoke in a crazed manor. "We meet at last."

"Get lost." The Uchiha snapped back icily, clearly in no mood to tolerate unwanted encounters.

Sakura swallowed hard, nervously thinking over what was about to play out between the three of them.

The shinobi laughed again, a low and malicious laugh that chilled her to the bone. "As if I'd let this opportunity slip away from me, when it's already within my grasp."

"Stay close." Sasuke muttered to Sakura, his lone hand brushing her off so he could take hold of his sword, though he didn't unsheathe it immediately.

The concerned tone his voice took worried her, and that was when Sakura noticed the dozen other shinobi surrounding them. This wasn't good. She could fight, but after the day she'd had tending to patients, her chakra supply was already low and she couldn't unleash thoughtlessly, mostly because of the village. She had to think about the town and its civilians.

"What business do you have with me?" Sasuke pressed, his annoyance palpable.

"Those eyes. Eyes capable enough to rule this world. I'm going to have them."

"Hn. You wish."

Just as the man darted towards them, Sasuke pulled out his sword, parrying the other shinobi's kunai in the blink of an eye. Sakura stood just behind Sasuke, trying to stay as close as possible without getting in the way, and all the while training her eyes over their surroundings to keep up with those hidden shinobi. They were obviously staying back for a reason, though what that reason was, Sakura didn't know. All she knew was that she had to stay focused, to be ready to strike at any moment.

The guy was a rogue, an ex-Mist nin. His shark like teeth between the snarl is lips set in gave Sakura a shudder she didn't like. A battle between the two commenced, Sasuke held him at bay well enough, but when the rogue drew his own sword, the fight turned fierce quickly.

Sharp metal clashing together rang out through the silence of the night and before long, Sakura was forced to keep a distance from Sasuke. She was actually fascinated to see him in action. He was the kind of skillful that anyone would admire, but he'd always been that way. As she watched, Sasuke weaved the signs for his chidori, sword still in hand and then in was streaming all around his body and through his sword, allowing him to knock his opponent's sword away with ease.

Sasuke closed in on him, holding his sword out at the rogue's neck, a cold, calculating look in his mix-matched eyes. His dōjutsu active, the man didn't stand a chance. However, while Sakura was distracted being awed by Sasuke's performance, she'd let her guard down, she'd stopped surveying the enemy, and in a moment of weakness, she'd been captured.

The last thing she knew, several hands grabbed and held her at once, just as someone held a cloth over her nose and mouth. Her medic senses kicked in too late, she'd been too taken by surprise. Had she been thinking properly, she would have known to hold her breath, to fight her way free. But, in her shocked state, she'd gasped, inhaling a considerable amount of the knockout drug and in a matter of seconds, she was out cold.

"Sakura!" Sasuke shouted, forgetting the shinobi before. With the rinnegan's help, he switched places with one of the shinobi close to her, but just that quickly, every last one of them vanished. "Damn it!"

Sasuke bit his lip, glancing around to take in the dark, quiet night, free of anyone but himself. They were all gone, and they'd taken Sakura. After sheathing his sword, Sasuke breathed slowly, calming himself.

He would not let his personal feelings get in the way. He would not let himself be overcome with anxiety. Sakura was strong, she was capable. She would be fine, and he would save her. If he never did anything else, he would see to her safe return. Once he had finally calmed down, he went after them. They were good at keeping their presence hidden, but Sasuke knew how to track shinobi, especially those foolish enough to travel on foot.

And if they thought they were going to lead him into a trap that he couldn't handle with ease, then he thought them to be idiotic at best. Of course this would happen as soon as things seemed to smooth out for him. It wasn't like he didn't know there would always be somebody after him, because he knew there would be. But sometimes he let himself relax enough to forget about all that he shouldered, and would always have to.

At that time, he couldn't help but feel a tinge of regret, and guilt. It would probably always be like this. Sakura would never have a normal life, because he wouldn't. He couldn't help wishing that he could let her go, that he could make her forget all about him and find someone else, where she could be happy for the rest of her life.

Sasuke supposed he was still as selfish as he'd ever been. Maybe even more so.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Thanks for reading. Been a while for this one, buuuut it's back!**


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER EIGHT

* * *

 **It Was Life**

 _On the Move_

* * *

With Sakura's body's natural healing ability, it was only minutes after her abduction that she came to, though she was wise enough not to let her consciousness be known.

One man carried her over his shoulder, and another dozen men surrounded them as they moved. Being so aware of her surroundings though, Sakura knew she had options. They were deep in the forest, away from any civilians, and she was smart and capable enough to get herself out of this situation. She was probably going to end up faint from chakra depletion, but she would make those guys regret ever trying to kidnap her.

She breathed in deeply, waiting for the right moment to strike. The next instant the shinobi's feet hit the ground, she delivered a sharp chakra infused elbow to his gut. He crumbled to the ground and Sakura was already raring her fist back. With one strong hit to the ground it caved, splitting open as far as the eye could see. Trees and shinobi both were buried in the rubble as it finally settled.

Sakura was beside herself with anger and it wasn't really being captured that bothered her. No, it was the fact that these people had come after Sasuke. She wanted more than anything for him to be able to move on with his life happily and freely. Every time she realized how close to impossible that would be for Sasuke, it cut her deeply. She loved him so much, she just wanted him to be at peace.

The leader for all intents and purposes, and the man who'd been carrying her was the only one she saw getting back to his feet, several meters away from where she stood. Her fists clenched at her sides and she got over to him in one leap.

Though her first instinct was to punch him into oblivion, Sakura grabbed him up by the scruff of his shirt and shook him violently. "You're a pathetic excuse for a shinobi, though that's probably why you're rogue. Trust me when I say you do not want to cross us again."

She could have easily ended his life. The possibilities were endless. However, she settled for knocking him out, and with only a slight touch from her fingers. Blood boiling, she was angry enough to do much more damage, to lose her cool enough to really hurt him and his men. But, she was already weak from her long day. She'd used so much chakra, and that punch to the earth really took a toll on her when she was already nearing her limit.

Once the leader was out of the picture, there was no more movement in the forest. It was quiet and cool. Sakura calmed quickly enough, but her eyes began to droop and she felt the lightheadedness coming on. She had to stay awake, to remain aware of her surroundings and any enemies that could attack. Just because they were down for the time being didn't mean they would stay that way. She couldn't crash right in the middle of so many foes.

There was no way she was making it back to the village though. She didn't know what condition Sasuke was in, if he was held up with other enemies, or on his way to her. She just hoped he was okay. Drained, collapsed to her knees and panted. She felt cold, strengthless and exhausted. Just as her body gave out and she started falling to the side, someone was suddenly beside her supporting her weight.

"Sorry I'm late."

Finally letting her eyes close, Sakura smiled. "Don't worry. You're right on time, Sasuke-kun."

That was the last thing she remembered.

…

Sasuke was well aware of how strong and capable Sakura had become. He'd been able to witness her strength firsthand in the war and not only her strength, but her drive and determination as well. Still, going after the group that attacked them and ran off with her, Sasuke never anticipated to find her to be the only one standing.

Not because he thought her to be weak, but because he knew she was low in chakra after tending to person after person all day. She was tired, it was obvious and he wasn't sure she had enough in her to unleash such a mega punch, but it was strong enough to shake the earth even from a great distance behind where he had been at the time.

The earth was in shambles around her when he arrived, just in time to see her fall to her knees. She managed to unleash, but it took its toll and now she'd be down much longer than necessary. As he carried her through the forest though, watching her silently with each passing step, he knew Sakura was quite admirable. She was strong. She was perfect. She was more than special to him.

He loved her.

Sasuke wasn't a dense man, he wasn't stupid. There wasn't a second of his life that had been forgotten to him over the years. Before the massacre, Sasuke was a very loving boy. He adored his mother, who was always kind and affectionate, he admired his father and always strove for his acceptance, and his brother was more important to him than anyone.

It hurt to lose everything in an instant, to go from having a normal family, to having nobody- it hurt. Sasuke was destroyed. Team seven helped, a lot… but, he was cursed with hatred and when he'd become foolish enough to give into that hatred, it consumed him. The Uchiha cared so deeply, much deeper than anyone else.

Sakura was a girl who had been special to him for a long time. He would never forget her. Of course he never thought that he'd be blessed enough to have a future with her, until the present time. But now, he knew he loved her, he knew she was precious. It frightened him because he also knew that he could never handle losing her.

If something ever happened to Sakura, Sasuke wasn't sure how he'd ever be the same.

Being the middle of the night, or early morning rather, Sasuke carried Sakura straight to the inn and tucked her into bed. She was pale and cold, but he knew after a good eight hours of sleep she would feel much better.

She'd be disappointed though, because they'd be moving again as soon as she was able. With their position known to any of his enemies, it was far too dangerous to hang around. He hated to leave the village when they needed all the help they could get, but Sasuke knew their presence would do more harm than good if they were being targeted.

As soon as the sun rose, he'd be explaining to the villagers. He wanted peace, he wanted everyone safe. Especially Sakura. They needed to be ghost. Nobody could know where they were. Staying in one place for too long just wasn't an option for them, as much as he hated it. More than anything, Sasuke hoped Sakura would be able to accept things for what they were.

He couldn't let her go. Selfish as it may be, he did love her. He wanted her, but he wanted her safe and happy as well. So somehow, even if it destroyed him, if she wanted to leave him be, if life with him was too much for her- he would let her go.

…

"Sasuke-kun?" Sakura woke up, yawning his name before her eyes were even open.

"I'm here." He said, sitting next to her in bed then.

She opened her eyes to look at him and smiled. "Hey."

"Hey." He smiled back and her heart stopped for an instant.

Sasuke probably had no idea how beautiful he was when he smiled so genuinely.

"Feeling better?"

"Yes. Much."

His eyes fell and she took note, watching him closely. "We've got to move as soon as possible."

She watched him for a long moment, eyes boring into his. Finally, she nodded once in understanding. "You're right."

There were several reasons she agreed so easily, but she understood. Staying in the village after the attack would be an idiotic risk on their part, for both them and the villagers. They needed to move ahead, hide their tracks and keep on the road. Sakura didn't really mind. In fact, she'd be glad to be wandering the world with Sasuke once more.

"We should rest up and leave tonight." She suggested.

"Ah." Sasuke agreed.

They'd sleep for a few hours, eat their fill and then get on the move. Sakura would be lying if she said she wasn't a bit excited. She wanted to be angry: angry that they were having to change their plans because of unwanted enemies. But, she couldn't be. All she could think about was how happy she was to just be with him.

It didn't matter where they were or what they were doing. As long as they were together, Sakura was happy.

…

Over the next few weeks, Sasuke and Sakura traveled along hundreds of miles, going from one nation to the next. They were always meeting new people, or running into people that Sakura already knew. While many people knew who Sasuke was, he didn't know many people. Being such a remarkable medic, Sakura's skills were known far and wide, so people knew her. But, it surprised Sasuke at how many people she knew personally.

And she never met a stranger.

She was angelic, always kind and passionate. Always trying to help anyway she could. Then there was how she treated him. He adored how sincere and caring she was. Sasuke was crazy about her and she seemed totally oblivious. She wasn't like other girls. She had him day and night, alone, yet she never tried to seduce him. If anything, she acted as if it were the last thing on her mind.

Sasuke knew that wasn't the case. She'd wanted him just as he'd wanted her at certain times. If he made a move, there wasn't a doubt in his mind that she would jump on the opportunity. He just felt like it wasn't the right time. They still needed to wait. They needed to be more open with each other.

Weren't they though? They slept together every night. They spent nearly every second together. They got along easily enough, never having any disagreements for the most part. Life was simple with just the two of them. They didn't have much to worry about. Enemies would come and go, but they were no serious threat. Not after all they had endured over time.

The days continued to fly by, turning into weeks and weeks and before long, they'd been travelling together for half a year. Things were comfortable, natural. The two of them were happy as they could be with life on the road. They never stayed in one place for more than two nights, and most of their nights were spent in their tent. There were also special occasions that they slept under the stars with nothing but their bedding.

They were closer than they ever had been, yet both of them wanted to get closer.

For two days, they'd been staying in a small civilian village in the middle of nowhere. Almost everywhere they went, people needed help. Sasuke and Sakura were always quick to lend a hand. The village wasn't much of a village at all. Sakura was sure she'd never been anywhere so poor before. The children were dirty, their water supply was limited and there was only one small shop that sold few necessities.

It was sad. Over time they'd wandered far and wide and had traveled away from shinobi land. The people there had never even seen a shinobi in real life, though they had heard of them. Sasuke spent his days cutting trees. Winter was fast approaching and most of the people weren't in the best of shape. While Sasuke did everything he could with his time, Sakura tended to the people.

Food was limited and many of them were malnourished. There really wasn't much Sakura could do besides treat them for any ailments. She also left them with a variety of medicine, while still keeping enough for herself and Sasuke if they ever needed it.

When they finally parted ways with the village though, both of them were left feeling slightly down. It was depressing to see people struggling and only be able to help so much. That night they set up camp. Sakura set up the tent while Sasuke made a fire. It was always cool at night and Sakura always ended up snuggling up to him when they slept. Not that Sasuke minded, because he didn't.

He liked Sakura close.

By the time Sakura had finished with the tent, Sasuke was sitting on the ground in front of the fire lazily, his eyes trained on the flames. She sat next to him, closely and his eyes turned to her then. He knew she was sad, especially about those children. He was too, but there just wasn't anything more they could do. They couldn't even spare any more time. Even though they weren't on shinobi land, there was always a chance they could be targeted again.

"They're gonna be fine, Sakura."

She sighed quietly. "You're right. I'm sure they will be."

Though she nodded as if to second her hopefulness, her eyes still appeared so sad.

"Come here." He said, opening his cloak with his lone arm.

Sakura didn't hesitate to settle herself between his legs, her back resting against his front. He wrapped his arm around her, covering her in his cloak and his warmth. She breathed deeply, relaxing against him. Her hands covered his in her lap and she rested her head back against his chest.

"Thank you, Sasuke-kun." She told him quietly, feeling tired as she rested against him. Her eyes fluttered closed. She was so comfortable. She could have fallen asleep instantly, but she wouldn't allow herself.

"Sakura… How do you feel about going home for a bit?"

Her eyes opened at that. She looked around thoughtfully before responding. "You want to go home?"

"I thought it might be nice to visit. Show our faces. Take a few weeks to rest peacefully."

Sakura turned her face to look at him before nodded slowly. "That's fine with me. It's been so long. It would be good to see everyone. And rest." She giggled then and Sasuke smiled.

"Hn. You should rest now. Sleep here tonight."

There was a light blush covering her cheeks as she tightened her hold on his hands, closing her eyes softly. "I will. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Sakura."

Well into the night, Sasuke sat there holding her as she slept. There were many things on his mind, but she was the main one. He had an ulterior motive for heading back home, though he had no intention of letting her become aware of his plans.

It had taken him a long time to decide what was best for the both of them when it came to their future. But, he finally knew what that was. They'd go home, they'd have some time to be comfortable- and then Sasuke would make his move.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Thanks for reading.**

 **Sorry for late, late update and any mistakes!**


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